The Anatomy Of Your USP

[Chris Ramsey]

If you want to stay alive in this crazy competitive world of sales - you
NEED to differentiate yourself somehow. Your USP (unique selling
position) is what's going to do that for you.

But how can you find your USP if your product is just like every other?

The product may be the same, but it's back story is totally different.
Use your own story. Are you a three legged fighter pilot turned internet
marketer? Use that in your story.

I recently read of a product that wasn't selling so hot. The business
owner hired a copywriter to get the letter done properly. While the
copywriter was interviewing the business man, he found out that he had
lost his legs in an accident some time before. This then turned into the
big USP of the product.

I can't remember how it tied in exactly, but that's a perfect example of
how something seemingly innocent and completely unrelated can sell your
product.

For instance, I used to be a hypnotherapist. I would change the way
people's minds worked with my words. I've since then started using those
same techniques for my client's sales letter - and thus I became "The
Hypnotic Copywriter."

Who are you? What special skills, talents, or story do you have that
makes you stand out? You need to tie this into your sales letter somehow
if you want to have a fighting chance out there.

Your USP could also be your offer. If your offer is outstanding, you
really need to publicize it. For instance, if you're offering 365 days
of free whatever, that's something you might want to pop into your
headline.

In the past I've sold WSO's using my offer as the USP. My biggest
success was me giving away five complete products just for reading the
thread. I made a ton of money from that thread because of the great
offer inside. What does your offer look like?

So please take some time and think about what your USP could be. It's
literally a crap-shoot. You can fit nearly anything into your sales letter
and tie it together somehow. Try playing with it and see what inspires you.

[John_S]

Your product is like any other and that's it?

No. No. No. It's time you learn your USP extends to your service and product.

What's a sticking point in selling hypnotherapy, what addresses an unspoken objection? How about that you videotape the entire session. That way, you can rest assured of everything that happens during the session.

Given five minutes, I'm sure you could come up with a dozen service improvements for anything -- hypnotherapy to taxidermy. That people don't is because they think a copywriter will spring a gimmick to fix their mediocre, ho-hum, status quo business.

If people spent a tenth of the time developing a remarkable business as they do learning copy gimmicks ...they'd spend half the time trying to come up with some gimmick.

If the backstory doesn't result in a remarkable product, it's a gimmick designed to distract from the lack of benefits. Your backstory must be relevant to "what's in if for me."

Take it from one (two, actually) of the more highly-paid, respected copywriters: A gifted product is mightier than a gifted pen. There are no boring products -- only bored business owners.

[The Copy Nazi]

Chris, hope you don't think me a pedantic smartass but "USP" actually refers to "unique selling proposition". It was coined by Rosser Reeves - a hotshot adman with Ted Bates in the Forties (early WWII). He was all about showcasing the value and/or benefit of the product rather than the copywriter's fancy words. And he was big on slogans to position the product. Think he was responsible for M&M's "melt in your mouth, not in your hand" - do you still have that in the States?