When you meet some USPs, it breaks out: "Oops!".

Typical, no benefits, lackluster, too generic.

But it is the unique selling proposition that is the heart of any business. What the whole marketing strategy revolves around, which helps to profitably rebuild from competitors and occupy its part of the market.

Let's think of the USP as the core surrounded by hot marketing magma. It moves, mixing, positioning, characteristics of the target audience, competitive information, the benefits of a product or service, as well as the company's business objectives.

If the core is weak, then the magma spreads, smearing the outlines of the company throughout the sales market. And sooner or later the boundaries of business are erased, and then completely disappear.

Here is such a metaphor. And it’s easier to say this: a strong USP = a strong company.

John Carlton, in one of his speeches, says that in search of "the same UTP" It may take more than one sleepless night. But the result should be something special that puts your business in the buyer's mind.

To help you in this difficult task, we have collected 8 scenarios, using which you will create your competitive offer without much loss of time and nerve cells.

Scenario #1: Unique Feature

If there are a lot of analogues of your business on the market, then try to find some unique difference. Either find or create.

How the marketers of TM "Twix" acted in this situation: they divided an ordinary chocolate-wafer bar into two sticks. And on this they built the entire communication strategy.

Scenario #2

It is very difficult to come up with something original in a classic business. Then it's worth looking for what your competitors are missing.

For example, Claude Hopkins once noticed that toothpaste not only cleans teeth, but also removes unpleasant plaque (film). And so the slogan was born. "Gets Rid of Film on Teeth".

And while developing a USP for a beer brand, he noticed that bottles at the factory are not just washed, but doused with a powerful stream of steam. Mr. Hopkins brought this workflow (which is used, in fact, by all beer producers) into the concept - "Our Bottles Are Washed With Live Steam!"

Of course, here you need to immerse yourself in all areas of business: from production to the work of secretaries and delivery services.

By the way, you probably remember the classic example of Domino Pizza delivery. It sounds like this: “Delivery in 30 minutes. If we're late - pizza as a gift".

There is a little military trick in this scenario: the business owner often blurs his eyes, and an experienced copywriter with the makings of a detective Maigret is able to pull out a hot and fresh USP.

Scenario #3: The John Carlton Formula

The formula is ideal for a service business. It doesn't even need to come up with anything revolutionary or creative. Substitute your data - and get a working USP.

“With ________ (service, product) we help _________ (ca) solve ______ (problem) with ____ (benefit).”

Options:

• With the Slimming course, we will help women put on their favorite bikini by the summer.
• The Self Copywriter training will help businessmen save hundreds of dollars on freelance services.
• The Mary Poppins service will help mothers to go to the gym, movies and shopping while the baby is under the supervision of an experienced nanny.

The examples are not perfect, but they demonstrate the very principle of working with the Carlton formula. The main thing is that we explain to the target audience what benefits our product or service brings.

Scenario #4: Innovativeness

If the product solves the buyer's problems in a completely new way, then this must be stated in the USP. And "…do not be shy"- as Ivan Dorn sings in his hit.

What could it be:

• innovative formula;
• new product;
• new packaging;
• a new format of interaction with the buyer;
• revolutionary way of delivery;
• etc...

• Innovation! The first Nivea Q10 3 in 1 Roll-On Gel for wrinkles, dark circles and puffiness.
• Vicks - We've combined healing ingredients and the mild flavor of Lemon Tea to help relieve 6 cold symptoms.

Scenario #5: USP with a problem

You can turn the problem of your audience into a unique selling proposition. Those. go not from the description of the service, but from solving the complex problem of a potential buyer.

• Has a tooth? Ointment "Nebolin" will relieve pain in 5 minutes.
• Bad mood? Invite a friend over for coffee at McDonald's.
• Confused about finding cheap flights? Check out our offers of 183 airlines.

TV commercial example:

— Got a cold? Flu? With Aflubin tablets, a tangible improvement in health comes much faster. (Translated from Ukrainian).

Scenario number 6. USP with a bow

So we call any advantage that is associated with gifts, bonuses, discounts, guarantees and other consumer "goodies".

• Samsung phones are guaranteed for 5 years. Order a dessert, get coffee as a gift.
• Buy 2 pizzas, the third one is free.
• Make an order for 1000 rubles, and our taxi will take you home for free.

This is a successful scenario for a unique offering, but it is unlikely that such a USP will work with the same efficiency for a long time. Use this formula for seasonal promotions.

Scenario number 7. USP with muscles

Here you need to play with the muscles of your business, show all your friends and envious people the strengths of the company, product, service.

What could it be:

• low price;
• huge assortment;
• free service;
• goods of cool brands;
• support for a bright personality;
• hundreds of awards and diplomas;
• offices throughout the country.

In general, all the characteristics to which you can add the word "most".

It is not enough just to declare one's "self" for the USP. We need facts, figures, evidence.

The phrase unique selling proposition or USP for short is quite common in advertising and marketing. And with all the intelligibility of words, not all companies were able to form a USP and use it to promote their product. Most people think that all good ideas have already been used by someone and it is almost impossible to come up with something new.

What is UTP

Unique selling proposition from English. unique selling proposition (more commonly used abbreviation USP) is the concept according to which advertising and product promotion must be based on certain unique properties of the product that are understandable to the consumer and bring him benefits. The USP is, first of all, the selection of your product among all competitors. The word "unique" implies not being replicated by competitors. Unlike classical window advertising, which was opposed by the USP strategy, your product must be associated, recognized and unified by the client precisely with the benefit described in the USP.

In many products, especially complex ones, there are a lot of features and benefits, and many of them are unique to a certain extent. The USP concept is about trying to promote all the benefits at the same time. It is better to single out one main benefit and put all your efforts into promoting it.

The manufacturer likes to patent and use the same developments under different names in advertising. So, for example, one of the manufacturers of washing machines began to promote the “easy ironing” function. In fact, this is just the usual delicate washing mode, but this marketing trick worked fantastically for the consumer. Soon, this option appeared in all leading manufacturers of washing machines. But the name changed a little, then light ironing, then simple ironing, then they simply drew a button with the image of an iron.

Often people think that USP needs some unique product or service. In fact, it is much more important to be able to highlight unique properties in the product and present them correctly to the client. There are a lot of examples, look at how social media has spread. instagram network. It was founded in 2010, when the market was already more than saturated. Having relied on a rather narrow niche at that time - online publication of photographs, social. the network was able to stand out, attract attention and, as a result, get ahead of many competitors.

For the first time, Rosser Reeves spoke about the concept of USP. In 1961, in his book Reality in Advertising, he talked about the rationalist approach to sales. Advertising, according to this approach, should focus on those or other unique properties of a product or service that bring clear, tangible benefits to the client.

Three principles of USP

3 main principles were formed that must be observed to form a unique selling proposition:

1. Advertise an important benefit for the client;
2. The benefit must be unique, that is, not available to competitors;
3. The above two points should have a strong impact on the client, .

The USP concept takes into account that the client is guided in making decisions not only by reason and logic, but also by emotions. New and interesting properties generate interest, surprise and interest (read the article). These are important parameters for attracting the attention of a client to a product or service.

Of course, once you've been able to grab a customer's attention, they'll start evaluating your product in terms of the usefulness of the benefits presented. And if he finds them, he will buy the goods. It is the emotional component that prepares the client for the purchase, and logic and emotions close the deal.

True and false USPs

So, you have your own product, for example, you deliver water for offices. There are a lot of companies like you, and at first glance, uniqueness is out of the question. But if there is no uniqueness, it needs to be created. For example, you can position yourself as the fastest delivery, same day delivery, accept cash, include water for the rich in your assortment, order pizza once a month for regular customers, etc. Standing out from the crowd is much easier than it seems at first glance.

Hello dear readers. Today we will talk about a very important component of any business, which 90% always forget about. This is a USP (Unique Selling Proposition). This is the foundation of the basics, this is what any business project should start with, this is what distinguishes you from competitors, what pushes your business up or, on the contrary, drags you down. We will talk about what a USP is and how to form it for your business in this article.

This article will give you an idea of ​​how to accurately solve a client's problem, turn his desire into reality and persuade him to make a purchase from you.

What is a Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

A USP is a definition of the features of your business that are unique in their own way to your product or service. In addition, these properties are the distinctive features of your product, and, of course, are not available from competitors. This is what fundamentally distinguishes you from competitors, shows your strengths and solves the problem of potential customers.

Why a business needs to start with the development of a USP

Let's take online shopping as an example (if this is closest to me). The vast majority of modern online stores, even at the beginning of their work, try to master everything at once. As a rule, their principle of work is to become famous for excellent quality, affordable prices, instant delivery of goods, polite couriers, a high level of service quality, as well as a long warranty period. But that's not all.

But often it turns out that trying to cover a lot of things, you can not cover anything.

I already brought him up. For example, you have an Audi car. Something is broken and your car needs to be repaired. You find 2 auto-services: a car service that repairs many brands of cars and a car service that specializes specifically in the Audi brand. In favor of which of the above options would you still make your choice?

Of course, the right decision will be the service station that specializes in the Audi brand.

But not everything is so simple, there are exceptions. The first company may also have vast experience in servicing your car and will cope with the task quickly and efficiently. But, if you conduct a survey, then the majority will obviously be for the service station, which specializes in a particular brand.

What conclusion can be drawn from this? When developing your USP, you need to cover only a piece of the market, but cover it 100%. For example, not to sell children's clothes, but clothes for newborns. Many examples can be cited. The main thing is to convey the essence. Start with a narrower niche, become a leader in it, and only then expand.

How to create your own USP

An algorithm consisting of just five steps will help you create your USP, which will become your calling card for every potential buyer.

Describe and rate your audience

Before starting a business, decide who your potential audience is. Try to think more narrowly and then you will hit right on target. For example, if you want to open a pet food store, consider only reaching out to cat owners or dog owners. You do not need to initially cover ALL animals. Believe me, if you have great service and a large assortment of dog food, then you will have enough customers in the face of dog breeders. Because of the diversity in the choice and focus on them, all dog breeders will be yours.

Find customer issues

Try to put yourself in your client's shoes. What problems might he have? When we opened the handbag store, we immediately realized that among women, the majority of customers would be women with small children. And we were not wrong. When delivering the goods, very often we were thanked for the delivery, because you can’t go shopping and leave a small child alone. We also understood that we would often need to deliver goods to the place of work, because not everyone has time to go shopping after work. We also brought goods up to 10 pieces to choose from, because we knew that the choice in this case is very important and this is one of the problems of a client who orders in an online store without seeing the item and without touching it with his own hands.

Highlight your most important qualities

This step involves finding and describing 3-5 characteristic qualities that will help the client choose you, and not a competitor. It is important to convey to the audience that all these bonuses can only be obtained by working with you! What advantages do you have, not your competitors?

Think like your consumer. What benefits matter most to your customers? How do they solve their problem? Also compare your offer with that of competitors. Whose benefits are more enticing?

What guarantees can you give

This is a very important element of the USP. You must give people a guarantee for your services and products. But not just a guarantee, but a guarantee of the “I answer with my head” type. Examples:

“Our courier will deliver your order in no more than 25 minutes. Otherwise, you will get it for free!”

- "If our method of losing weight does not help you, we will return 2 times more money than you paid for it."

If you are not confident in your products and services yourself, then customers will not be confident.

We compose USP

Now collect everything that you got from the first 4 points and try to fit it all into 1-2 small sentences. Yes, it is possible that this will take a lot of thought for a long time, but it's worth it! After all, it is this offer, as a rule, that is the first thing that catches the eye of a client who has visited your site or seen your advertisement.

What is the key to a successful USP?

1. USP should be clear and concise;
2. Don't complicate it, it will make it harder for customers to understand;
3. Promise only what you can deliver;
4. Put yourself in the place of the client and evaluate everything from his side.

Just don't rush into it. Give the USP a few days. Believe me, it's worth it. Then it will be easier for you to make advertising, you will be more confident to move on.

If your goal is to create a successful and profitable business, don't try to chase every product and service in your niche. Narrow it down as much as possible. In addition, try to do everything qualitatively. This will allow you to earn a good reputation, earn positive reviews from satisfied customers, and also stand out from your competitors.

Unique Selling Proposition Examples

Below we will analyze the USPs that are common and make an adjustment. The result will be more targeted and tempting.

"We have the lowest prices!"

Is this a UTP? Yes, prices are important, but anyone can write like that. By including a guarantee, you can get a much cooler USP. As the M-Video store did: “If you find a price lower than ours, we will sell at this price and give a discount on the next purchase.” That's what I understand by UTP. I myself used this 1 time, throwing off a link to a product in another online store and receiving a product in M-Video for this amount, as well as a coupon for a discount of 1000 rubles. for your next purchase.

“We have the highest level of quality!”

Also blah blah blah. “If our simulator did not help you, then we will refund you 2 of its cost.” Here's how you can not buy, reading such lines?

“Exclusive only with us!”

It’s more complicated here, but since you write this, then confirm with a guarantee. "If you find this product elsewhere, show us and get a gift with your purchase."

“We have the best service and support”

Well, what is it? Another thing: "If we do not deliver in 40 minutes, then you will receive the order for free." Or an example from Virgin Airlines: "If our operator does not answer within 10 seconds, you will receive a free flight." This is what I mean by SERVICE!

Conclusion

I think that this article turned out to be as detailed as possible and you can create a USP for your business based on it. If you have any questions, ask in the comments. But just don’t ask to create a USP for you or give an example specifically for your business. This is not a quick process and I will not just sit and brainstorm. You are the founder of your business and it is YOU who should come up with the USP.

The absence of a USP is a great grief for business. Look at these sites:

In addition to design, they practically do not differ from each other - everywhere low prices, high quality and quick installation. It's a pity for people who want to order stretch ceilings - it will take more than one hour to wade through the jungle of clone sites to find a worthwhile option.

Therefore, there must be something that distinguishes the business from the crowd - a unique selling proposition. It is it that will make competitors afraid of you like fire, and potential customers more often make a choice in your favor.

By the way, prices with it can be slightly higher than those of other companies: if you offer the buyer a product that will solve his problems, he will be ready to pay more for it.

There are only three "buts" - USP works if it:

• unique- competitors do not offer this;
• specific- the user immediately understands what it is about;
• valuable- the potential client sees his benefit.

In 2014, we gave a general scenario by which a USP can be created. Today we will share new formulas and examples from practice to make it even easier to come up with or highlight a sentence.

Where to begin?

We analyze the target audience. What is good for an avid fisherman is not suitable for a young woman on maternity leave. Therefore, the development of a USP should begin with getting to know the target audience - what worries your potential customers, what are their problems and interests?

Example: Let's say you need to come up with a USP for an online home goods store. Most often, women are engaged in the purchase of household chemicals, dishes, decor and other things. Ordering all this online will be those who have no time - which means that your main audience is working women aged 25 to 45 years. What might be of interest to them? Surely you will like it if you deliver goods quickly and free of charge. Therefore, a good USP is "Free delivery in Irkutsk within 2 hours."



Pretty good suggestion. But it can be strengthened - write how quickly the order will be delivered or indicate that delivery is around the clock.

Underwater rocks

Remember: the target audience is not just gender, age, income level and other parameters. You need to realize what and to whom you are selling, what problems you are helping people solve: ideally, you should have a clear portrait of the buyer in your head.

We think about the features of the business. Perhaps the finished USP is under your nose, you just need to notice it. To do this, honestly answer a few simple questions:

• What are your products made from?
• How exactly are the products produced?
• What equipment do you use?
• What are the unique features of the products?
• How do you interact with clients?
• How is the work on the order structured?

There is a chance that you will see an important advantage that will allow you to rebuild from your competitors. By the way, sometimes you can make a USP from a disadvantage: "Homemade cakes with a short shelf life - only natural ingredients."

Example: Suppose you are engaged in laser cutting of metal. Terms, prices and delivery conditions are the same as those of other companies. But on the other hand, you use a modern fiber-optic laser - it allows you to achieve maximum accuracy, up to 0.1 mm. Isn't this a USP? "Laser cutting accuracy up to 0.1 mm - we use the Ruchservomotor LaserCut 3015 fiber optic installation."



And this sentence can be strengthened - add how accurate the result is.

Underwater rocks

No one knows the specifics of a business better than its owner - so think and honestly answer the question why you are cooler. A marketer or copywriter will help you get the chip out of the benefits.

We look at competitors. Conduct a detailed and objective analysis - compare your business with the offers of your main competitors. Here is a sample list of parameters for comparison:

• prices;
• the presence of a loyalty program;
• delivery speed;
• courtesy of the staff;
• ease of ordering;
• regularity of shares;
• guarantee period;
• the possibility of deferred payment.

You will get a clear picture - it will become clear in what parameters you are losing, and in what parameters you are superior to your competitors. Winning criteria can be taken as the basis of the site's USP.

Example: Imagine that you are the owner of a tire shop. Delivery takes from 1 to 7 days, because you sell some items from the catalog under the order. There is no loyalty program yet, prices are the same as competitors. But everyone has a guarantee of 1-3 years, and you are ready to give an indefinite one - "Sale of tires with an indefinite warranty: free replacement in case of accidental damage."

Good deal, don't you agree? The only thing you can work on its design is to try to fit the title in 1 line, remove exclamation marks.

Underwater rocks

It is important not to want “like the competition, only better” - if another company has a similar USP, what will prevent it from making it cooler than yours? For example, offer delivery in 30 minutes instead of 1 hour. Be objective and try to find something of your own.

We ask clients. If you have already had orders, ask why people chose your company. Sometimes clients can give valuable clues.

By the way, it is worth conducting such surveys from time to time: this will help improve the service and have a positive impact on the company's reputation.

Example: Let's say you opened a beauty salon a week ago. You can ask employees to ask customers why they chose you. If clients say that you have a convenient working time, make it your thing. Let the salon be open from 12:00 to 22:00, and not from 09:00 to 19:00 like everyone else nearby. USP: "A beauty salon with a convenient work schedule: we are waiting for you daily from 12:00 to 22:00."



A very good USP - few beauty salons can offer this.

Underwater rocks

It's hard to follow this advice if you haven't had any orders at all. But nothing is impossible - go through thematic forums, social networks, talk with potential customers. Your goal is to find out what attracts buyers.

After all this laborious work, you will have at least strong advantages in your hands, as a maximum - an almost finished USP.

Aiming for the bull's-eye: 5 formulas for creating a USP

Even a good advantage can be easily spoiled if the idea is formulated incorrectly. Compare two offers: “Free delivery in Irkutsk in 2 hours” and “We are guaranteed to deliver your order within 2 hours. Delivery throughout Irkutsk. The meaning is one, but the first is read and perceived much easier.

To formulate a clear and beautiful USP, you can safely use one of the templates:

You don't have to follow the patterns exactly. You can safely change any formula or come up with something completely new - it all depends on the specifics of the business. It is important to remember the client's benefit: the main task is to show what exactly he will receive, and not what kind of white and fluffy company you have.

We look at the USP through the eyes of the client: 6 fatal mistakes

False statement. They misrepresented the facts or used criteria that should be the default. For example, USP “Professional doctors with experience of 3 years or more” is not suitable for dentistry - this is already expected from the clinic.

How to fix: look at the offer as a potential client. What do you expect from professional doctors? Certainly the correct and painless treatment. Try to bring this thought into the USP. "Painless dental treatment with a guarantee of 3 years - professionals work for us" - already better, isn't it?

Lack of benefit. Used dubious advantages. An online bed linen store should not boast of an assortment: "Online bed linen store "Sweet Dream" - we have 1,000 products." There will always be a company that has even more products.

But if the assortment is really unique, it can be emphasized: for example, 10,000 handmade planters from craftsmen from all over the world. Just be careful - make sure that competitors do not offer this, and will not be able to offer it in the near future.

How to fix: find another advantage. Let's say you sell cotton bedding. So highlight it - "Bedding for people with sensitive skin: hypoallergenic organic cotton sets."

Stamping. We chose a vague wording - “fast delivery”, “true professionals”, “highly qualified specialists”, “low prices”, etc. The list is endless. Similar phrases are found on hundreds of sites and people are so used to them that they simply do not perceive.

How to fix: add specifics - "Bouquets with delivery in 60 minutes", "Porcelain stoneware from 450 rubles. for 1 m² - we are the official dealer of 5 brands. Prove the advantage with facts and deeds, and if it doesn’t work out, choose another USP.

Wrong accent. They told only about one group of goods, while there are ten of them.

For example: "Quick-drying nail polishes: refresh your manicure in 60 seconds." It’s bad if, in addition to varnishes, you sell lipsticks, shadows and mascaras, they risk going unnoticed. If it is nail polishes that make you 80% of the profit, then it is permissible to focus on them. When selling all cosmetics is interesting, you need to change the USP.

How to fix: formulate a USP for the online store as a whole. If there are too many product groups, focus on the service: "Decorative cosmetics with home delivery: we work around the clock."

Bust with volume. We tried and wrote a USP the size of a paragraph: “Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: prices are low, because we produce furniture from our own materials - there is a sawmill and a carpentry shop in the north of the Irkutsk region. Find cheaper - we will make a discount and return the difference in cost.

How to fix: cut ruthlessly. For USP, one sentence is enough - "Tables from an array from 3,895 rubles: we will refund the difference if you find it cheaper." The rest of the information should be put in the paragraph below - after all, it is important to explain why you have such affordable prices.

Repetition for competitors. We saved time on analyzing competitors and got a clone - an identical or very similar offer. Too bad, because all the work is done in vain.

How to fix: alas, ideally, you need to start all over again - analyze the target audience, think about the features of the business and compare your online store with similar ones. If time is short, try expanding on a failed USP: replace "Online shoe store with delivery" with "Online shoe store with free shipping within 2 hours."

No errors were found in the UTP? It's too early to rejoice - the offer may turn out to be ineffective, even if it seems very attractive to you.

How to know if USP will work

Answer a couple of questions to check the viability of the offer:

• Does the offer look realistic? For example, the statement "Language school "Contact" - learn English in 1 hour" is very doubtful. But this USP can already be trusted: "Language school "Contact" - English for holidays abroad in 5 hours."
• The USP answers the question why, out of all the similar offers, you should choose this one? If yes - everything is in order.

You can also test the USP on clients - make a newsletter with different options and choose the one that most people responded to. We sometimes use this option - by the way, are you subscribed to our newsletter? If not, you're missing out on a lot of value.

Take the time to create a unique selling proposition - once spending several hours searching for the ideal, you will forever receive the key to the hearts of potential customers. If you need help, please contact us - we will create an effective offer.

Offers like “the most interesting courses”, “the most useful webinars” have not caught on buyers for a long time. To attract your target audience on the Internet, you need to show what exactly you are better than others and why a person should contact you. Let's figure it out how to create a unique selling proposition that will hit the client in the heart!

What is a UTP?

American advertiser Rosser Reeves, author of the M&Ms slogan - "Melting in your mouth, not in your hands" - was sure that advertising should do only one thing - to sell. He formulated this idea in the book Reality in Advertising, which became a bestseller among marketers around the world. In it, he first outlined the concept of USP in order to forever rid buyers of meaningless words like “the best”, “best”, “outstanding”.

A unique selling proposition or USP is what customers will love about you, choosing you among many other companies. According to Reeves, a USP is an advertising message that articulates your main difference from your competitors and the main reason for buying a product from you. It is used on banners, in contextual advertising, in mailing lists or on product cards, as well as in the description of the store on the site.

A well-written USP makes it easy to sell, because the client immediately sees why the offer is right for him. A good USP avoids price competition and increases repeat purchases.

However, do not forget that if irons from your online store are constantly returned with breakdowns, then no USP will keep dissatisfied customers.

Algorithm for creating USP?

So you've decided to create a unique selling proposition to sell your products online. Where to begin?

Step 1. Analyze your strengths

For clarity, make a table and mark in it all the competitive characteristics that your company has: extensive experience, price, qualified employees, etc. Write as many points as you can - indicate specific dates, numbers. Now cross out everything that your competitors have to offer. As a result, you will get a squeeze of unique benefits that only your company and your product can boast. Put them at the heart of your USP.

Analysis of the competitive environment will allow you to find your unique advantages - that's what you need to sell to potential customers.

You will gain a better understanding of your business if you simply answer these questions:

• What are we doing?
• What are our strengths?
• What are our weak points?
• How are we different from other companies?
• What do competitors say about themselves?
• Where are our growth areas, what else can be improved?

It is important to answer the questions as objectively as possible. Happened? Move on!

Step 2: Determine who you are working for

Imagine that you are going to a close friend's birthday party and decide to give him a sweater. How will you choose? You will choose the right size, remember his favorite color, do not forget that he loves thin woolen fabrics and thigh length. Knowing a person well, you will surely give him a really desired gift. Now imagine that you are congratulating a colleague with whom you work in different offices. It will be difficult to make a choice, because you are not familiar with his addictions.

A sincere understanding of who your client is will allow you to offer him exactly what he needs. Therefore, personalize the potential client as much as possible. To get started, answer these questions:

• Is this a man or a woman?
• What is the age of your buyer?
• What is he interested in?
• What pleases him?
• What worries?

Complete the list of questions with topics that are relevant to your business so that you have a holistic character in front of you.

Do you offer English courses? Then it is important for you to know how long the potential client has been studying the language and what is his level of Byron language proficiency.

You should end up with a description like this:

Our client is a housewife, mother of two who loves to cook and previously held a management position in a large company. She rests 2 times a year abroad, drives a luxury foreign car, is fond of yoga, and is allergic to cats.

The avatar will help to describe the client from three sides: based on the situation, focusing on the psychotype and belonging to the generation. So instead of a soulless target audience, a real person with peculiarities of perception, character and life circumstances will appear.

Now you know exactly who you are offering your product to.

ACCEL residents, founders of the "Happiness Is" School of Relations Ivan and Maria Lyashenko collected detailed feedback from their listeners and were able to draw up an accurate portrait of a potential client. So they managed to attract new students and make training materials more useful for a narrow audience.

Here is what the entrepreneurs themselves say about this: “We have significantly increased the share of educational content, reduced and made the selling part more understandable, and justified the pricing policy. We explain in detail why we offer this product and how it will help the needs of webinar attendees.”

Step 3: Tell us how you're willing to help

Swap places with your buyer. What do you pay attention to when choosing: price, guarantees, reliability, appearance? Would you personally buy what you are trying to sell?

Surely some of your potential customers for some reason go to competitors. Try to understand what they have, but you don't. Try to emphasize the strengths in your USP, work on "failing" places.

According to Vladimir Turman, an expert on the commercialization of innovations, in the USP it is worth talking about why you, as the owner, decided to start a business. He writes about this in his article “How to increase demand for your products without going to war with competitors”. It is likely that your problem, which you solved by starting a business, is also relevant for other people. The found solution should be emphasized in the USP.

Step 4: Formulate a USP

Now that you've studied your audience, their needs, and your competitors, it's time to formulate a USP.

To compose a not very creative, but working text, you can use the formula of copywriter John Carlton. Substitute the data of your company instead of spaces - and the USP is ready:

With _______ (service, product) we help ______ (target audience) solve ____ (problem) with __ (benefit).

For example: With online adult volleyball training, we will help all women over 18 learn how to play for the beach season.

The text of the USP can be approached more creatively. The main rule - write to the point. Common phrases, literary prettiness, approximate and generalized figures leave potential customers indifferent. Do you provide a 26% discount? Talk about exact numbers, not about "huge discounts" and "great deals."

Here are a few other important things to keep in mind:

• Write simply as for a friend. Your offer should be clear from the first time. Leave abstruse phrases and specific terms for scientific papers. The customer must understand what he is buying and why.
• Focus on your strengths. Mention in the USP something for which customers should want to come to you, and not to competitors. If your educational center employs doctors of sciences, you should not tell how convenient navigation on the site is for you - this way you will shift the focus of attention from the important to the secondary.
• Write short. Your goal is to interest a potential client in a minute. USP - a short message, from one to three sentences.

Use our cheat sheet in order not to forget anything:

• Who can benefit from this product/service?
• What will a person get by becoming your client?
• Why are you better than your competitors and why can't you buy an analogue of your product?

Mistakes in compiling USP

You can't lie about your unique selling proposition. If you promised a 50% discount and gave only 25%, the customer will feel cheated. You will lose your reputation, and with it your customers.

In addition, you should not include in the USP those benefits that the client receives by default, for example, the ability to return funds within 14 days (this is guaranteed by the Consumer Protection Law). Needless to say, that you have "professional masters of their craft." If this were not the case, would you be able to provide services?

Arguments must be supported by real facts. It is not enough to say that your service has no analogues on the market - tell us what is unique in your business, give more specifics.

Conclusion: How to test the effectiveness of your USP

So, you have studied your advantages, competitors, introduced the target audience and prepared the basis of your sales - the USP text. Now check its viability - make sure:

• Your unique selling proposition cannot be used by competitors. They don't provide the same services, don't use the same materials, or can't compete on price. Only with you the client will be able to get these benefits.
• Your USP can be formulated in reverse. For example, an entrepreneur who sells "women's shoes in large sizes" may well imagine that there is a company that sells small shoes. Only such a USP is competitive. And here is an example of a bad USP: “There is only good music in our club.” It's hard to imagine that someone can offer customers bad music.
• Your USP does not look absurd. It is unlikely that customers will believe that in the X online school you can learn English in 1 hour.
• You have tested your USP on clients. Submit different proposals by mail and choose the one that will collect the most responses.
• Make sure that your USP is the answer to the question: “Why, among all similar offers, do I choose this one?”.

Drafting a USP is a painstaking analytical work that will take time. But once you invest time in it, you will end up with long-term access to the hearts of your target audience.

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