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[Offline Consulting Done Smarter] The USP Myth and Why You Can't Attract Quality Clients

by Bayo
22 replies
The USP Myth ... Busted

Who This Is For: If you still believe in USPs as a practical way to attract qualified, ready to buy clients

What It Is: A quick overview on why you may be struggling to attract profitable local business

"Do you know the origin of the term 'Unique Selling Proposition' or 'USP' as it's commonly referred to?"

This was a question that I asked a group of service professionals and local service business owners in a recent event sponsored by our local library.

Most people knew what its is, but not a single one knew the origins. How about you? Do you know the origins?

I'd like to say that I was just a walking encyclopedia and I knew all this way back when but that wouldn't be true. I went in search of the origins because a local business attendee at one of my regular events asked me the question...and I didn't know the answer.

I guarantee that if you don't know the background to USPs, then the chances are that you're using an outdated model that works against you as opposed to for you - Just a heads up for you. No need to take my word for it.

Origins

It was a guy involved in advertising around the 1950's that coined the phrase.

His name was Roger Reeves.

Reeves said that the key to successful advertising was to identify something in a product or service that made it UNIQUE. He labeled that unique quality as the USP-unique selling proposition.

You don't need me to tell you that a lot of what people try to offer local businesses isn't unique by any definition.

From my 15+ years experience in professional services, I know that professional services hardly have a single, unique selling proposition. This is one of the reasons why most Offline Marketing consulting efforts as they're touted, simply can't and won't work.

So What Do I Do?

As an Offline Marketing consultant, irrespective of whether you offers SEO services, website audits and redesign, QR code integration, email auto responder services or any of the tens of other commodities (commodities = competing on price, but let's not even go there right now), you will start to get better results with less effort when you combine multiple features, benefits and outcomes of what you offer into a unique value proposition - a UVP.

The concept of a UVP has been around for some time, but like many other powerfully effective solutions that literally guarantee success, it takes some some effort to focus on pulling the thing together.

Why you could be struggling right now isn't because of any economy.

Just look around you and you'll see ample evidence that businesses are investing where they believe they'll get value. In my neck of the woods, some strip malls were torn down less than a year ago and have been replaced with other businesses that are doing well.

If you're like most professionals and service businesses who are your potential clients, you haven't taken the time to focus on figuring out your UVP.

As much as I'd like to believe what we do as Offline Marketing business development consultants is so darn good and unique, it just isn't tru.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but most of us share a number of common features with our local and national competitors. This is the single biggest reason why local business clients are able to ignore you and what you offer with confidence.

I hope to be able to write some more and cover how you can create your own local business client attracting UVP, but in a nutshell it's about understanding your points of similarity with your competitors and how you are different.

To your focused success!

BAYO




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#attract #attract offline clients #bayo #clients #consulting #myth #offline #offline guru strategy #quality #smarter #usp #uvp
  • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
    Originally Posted by Bayo View Post


    "Do you know the origin of the term 'Unique Selling Proposition' or 'USP' as it's commonly referred to?"


    His name was Roger Reeves.
    I think you will find his name was Rosser.

    Should have gone to Specsavers. (English joke)

    Dan

    PS: Agree with the other 99% though.
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  • Profile picture of the author CMCarlin
    Excellent post, but you left me wanting more!

    Definitely something to think on for the rest of the day. You're right. I've been going after USP this whole time and never once thought about UVP!

    Now I'm thinking of ways to do just that.

    Hoping this thread turns into something spectacular.

    Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author BradleyC
    Just google "unique value proposition" and you'll get a ton of information on it including examples.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    I love "buzz" words and terms and by love I mean laugh at. USP and UVP are just sales talk for crap.

    If you are in sales and focus on stuff like that the reason is normally because you can't sell and you are trying to learn. Some people can sell naturally and as a manager it is easier for me just to hire those people. As a business owner maybe you should consider the same. Other wise get out and learn how to sell. And that starts by learning how to talk to people. You have to have a positive additude and empathy to sell well. No one cares why you want him to buy from you. They all care about how the product and service will help them. And each customer is different. On you might talk to about the lower ROI vs newspapers. Another might be a bit of a geek and just talking up the geek stuff like SEO will sell him(in fact this guy might be better sold consulting and training vs. a service. No worries even once he learns he may hire you just to save time anyways.). The key is to learn what your customer wants and taylor your product or service to them.

    Think about an smart phone. Every single person could use one. Some you might sell it as no need for a sperate mp3 player. Another you might show how they can use facebook and gps on the go to keep up with and meet up with friends. While another you might talk about business. Which is what blackberry did but they forgot that non-business customers were important and now they have lost a market they once controlled. In the end the key is to remember what you offer can offer many things to many different people.
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  • Profile picture of the author CMCarlin
    lordauric I get what you are trying to say but you also come off as arrogant.

    I certainly know how to sell, and do it well, because I understand the psychological process, but I also choose not to ignore how I can better "package" my offers and make them seem more attractive.

    It's marketing.
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    • Profile picture of the author jimbo13
      Bayo,

      I thought you were British as I was reading your post actually. Can't really explain why.

      Are we not talking about this person?

      Ad Age Advertising Century: People: Rosser Reeves

      lordauric,

      You are right but Marketing and Sales are two different things. The better the Marketing the easier the sale.

      And marketing starts with a strong USP because if you don't know what you stand for the customer certainly doesn't.

      Apple, Virgin, Nike, Ben and Jerrys, Bodyshop, Lush, Harrods, Aston Martin, Ferrari , Tiffanys, The Ritz, Montblanc etc etc all know what they are about and it is unique to them. They don't deviate from marketing their core value over and over again.

      You are buying into thir DNA when you make a purchase. Indeed you want a piece of their DNA when you purchase.

      Dan
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  • Profile picture of the author RobBritt
    Interesting discussion. I don't think the USP or the UVP is crap. I think they are both valid ways of looking at what makes your solution the best fit for the customer's problem. The story you have going on inside your head is what is going to determine how a potential customer or client sees you.

    All the training I've had on sales has been focusing on the customer, listening to what they say, determining if you can solve their "problem" with your solution, and then figuring out the best way to help them understand how you can help them.

    Then you either skip hand and hand down the win-win trail, or you try to steer them toward someone who is better suited to offer them a true solution.

    thanks for starting the discussion Mr. B

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  • Profile picture of the author BradleyC
    There's some serious confusion here. lordauric post is all about "selling" and gives some pointers on selling.

    A USP/UVP is about marketing and generating leads.

    Two completely different topics.

    I'm a strong, very strong supporter of USP/UVP. And I'm not going to get hung up on or debate what a person wants to call it, whether USP or UVP, or what the differences are between the two. The outcome is still the same in the end.

    Bradley
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  • Profile picture of the author danielkanuck
    I used to think Jay Abraham came up with the USP. Guess not huh. Glad you did the research on it tho. Thanks.
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Sorry I think I was seeing it more in a selling vs marketing idea. And I personally have a bias against "buzz" words. Such praises are over used and normally BS. Yeah they can be surrounding a a great idea. And USP and UVP are just that a great idea surround by buzz. And normally it's a common sense idea too.

    People spin it and get the sales, marketing, and management people to eat it up. Because it feels and sounds like quick fix training to them. The truth is that marketing is a form of sales and one that takes learning. But a natural at it will pick it up faster just the same as sales because they just know how to read people and get them to do what they want. You have to know how to trigger responses and than learn how to do it even better.

    My issues isn't so much with USP and UVP in particular. My issue is the fact they are buzz words and as Bradley pointed out it's not even worth fighting over the difference. IMO UVP is just the new updated buzz word for the basic idea that USP used to be the buzz word for.

    And IMO sales and marketing are not different. They are simply sides of the same coin. Marketing is really a form of selling in a different format. Both marketing and classic "selling" get people to buy.
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  • Profile picture of the author Chris Rivers
    Hey Bayo,

    I have to agree with you on this one.

    The other day I was working on another marketing campaign and I began thinking about what my offline company does that is "truly" unique and one-of-a-kind.

    After running through a list of dozens of services that we could possibly offer, I concluded that each and every single one of those services could be provided by another company.

    Yes, it was humbling realization, but it also made me realize what I could be using as my unique value proposition. In my opinion, there are only 2 things that could possibly make my offline business unique.

    #1: Me. The combination of my experiences, personalized knowledge and perspective of the business world is unique. There is not another me.

    This is why I personally believe that 99% of one-man shops MUST put their unique face and personality in every one of their marketing campaigns AND present a marketing message that speaks to a specific audience while offering to solve a specific burning problem.

    #2: A custom set of processes that I rename and package in a unique way. Sure, it will include some of the things that other offliners can do, but once I insert "ME" into the process and package it in a unique way, it becomes unique.

    That's how all of those big-time guru's sell $2,000 - $5,000 marketing courses that have simplistic concepts that you already know, but somehow if it's delivered in a high glossy package with a voiceover by a well-known guru (in some cases a hired outsourcer) with custom dvd's and a launch, it's different.

    They are the UVP or USP. Sure, you could get the info in a $9.99 wso, but you won't get that particular guru with that cheap info product. You must pay to work with the expert.

    These were the conclusions that I reached after spending time trying to figure out what my USP or UVP is.

    To tell you the truth, it's kinda been liberating knowing that I don't have to try and compete on being able to "rank your google places listing higher." It wouldn't matter anyway because the reality is that I know about five warriors right now who could do it better than I could, but none of them could ever duplicate the "me" ingredient.

    Hopes this helps,

    Chris
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  • Profile picture of the author sethczerepak
    Nicely put, some would say it's just semantics. But sometimes semantics are the difference between getting it and "getting" it. Nicely done
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  • Profile picture of the author Dexx
    USP, UVP, UMP, it's all the same.

    At the end of the day your marketing message needs to contain one key element: The ADVANTAGE your solution provides that other options do not.

    Call it whatever you want. Like many said, it's a buzz word. Your market isn't going to wonder whether it was a unique feature or benefit of a specific product or service, company to a unique benefit the way it is packaged...they just need to comprehend that spending money on your X will get them Y...and that that Y isn't offered anywhere else.

    If it is offered somewhere else, and both offerings are nearly identical, then you have basically just made it a matter of price / delivery.

    ~Dexx
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by Dexx View Post

      USP, UVP, UMP, it's all the same.

      At the end of the day your marketing message needs to contain one key element: The ADVANTAGE your solution provides that other options do not.

      Call it whatever you want. Like many said, it's a buzz word. Your market isn't going to wonder whether it was a unique feature or benefit of a specific product or service, company to a unique benefit the way it is packaged...they just need to comprehend that spending money on your X will get them Y...and that that Y isn't offered anywhere else.

      If it is offered somewhere else, and both offerings are nearly identical, then you have basically just made it a matter of price / delivery.

      ~Dexx
      Ah, delivery.

      Thanks for pointing that out.

      How well is your product or service delivered?

      Much more important and memorable than a USP. People remember a great experience (or a poor one) far longer than some technical feature. This includes what Chris Rivers called the '"me" ingredient' above.
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      • Profile picture of the author Jason Morris
        Sometimes on this forum people get hung up about products.
        More focus should be on:
        'who is my ideal customer' - Needs a cold hard look at your skill set and experience.
        "what problems can I solve for him' - More often than not they fall in to two camps do we make more money for him or do we save him money.

        In a marketplace where others are offering the same services as you one of your key differentiators will be YOU and how you position YOUR services.
        For me there is no better UVP
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  • Profile picture of the author Aaron Doud
    Wow this thread brings back memories. It was around right when I came to the forum this time (had been here years ago under another name). I switched to my real name right about the time I posted in this thread when I realized they could change my user name to my real name.

    I still 100% stand behind what i said here. A "buzz" word will never replace selling skills. The reason people like "buzz" words, WSOs, and all the "easy" buttons out there is they want to believe all they need is that "one" thing and it will turn their sales (likely lack of sales honestly) around.

    There is no easy button. Selling is a skill you can learn. Some will be better at it and some are naturals at it, they just seem to be built to sell. But everyone can learn it. Though I would still suggest those truly bad at selling consider hiring someone to sell. In life and business you should focus on your strengths. You can always hire people to compensate for your weaknesses.

    So you can spend forever trying to figure out why you can't get business. You can develop USPs and etc. You can create your elevator pitch and stadium pitch. You can do all this and even pay people to do it for you. And here is the secret each one may help but it will not fix the issue until you take personal responsibility for your sales. The biggest reason people don't buy is the sales professional. And for most of the people on this board that is you no matter what title you give yourself.

    So instead of searching for what is wrong look yourself in the mirror and realize it is likely you. Now that is something that can be fixed. You can get training and experience. Hell you can even turn a 30 year 8 car a month guy into a 20 plus car a month guy. But it takes training and dedication to that training.

    I will tell you this if you have never sold before I would take a year and learn how to sell on someone else's dime by taking a job as a commissioned sales professional at a car dealer or furniture store or etc. This training and experience will help you greatly when you run your own company. Just as i would suggest you manage a small retail store or similar to get management and business training. You need skills to succeed and learning them on someone else's dime is easier.
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  • Profile picture of the author bizgrower
    I think of marketing as being every step a business takes to get new, repeat and referral business. Sales, customer service, advertising, customer relationship systems... then come in under the umbrella of marketing.

    For consultants and many businesses, to get and keep new customers or clients, it is about what I think business schools call 1 to 1, or relationship marketing. The "me" factor, the personal branding, the relationship during and after the sale (including delivery).

    In my neck of the woods, there are a lot of businesses where the owners write and deliver their own radio or TV spots or print ads, and they have been thriving businesses for years through all economies. It gets new customers into their business/sales funnel, I think, because the audience is getting to know, like and trust that owner and what they say about their business operations. The businesses I'm thinking of are a car dealer, a diamond store, a furniture store, door, window and siding companies, a law firm (that actually started a marketing and advertising business and has it's own TV ad studio in their office building that they own).

    All that being said, as consultants, it's important to think about how we get more customers into our clients' businesses/sales funnels.

    Dan
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    "If you think you're the smartest person in the room, then you're probably in the wrong room."

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  • Profile picture of the author Bhekizwe
    interesting discussion....seems USP/UVP are buzz words.As long as you keep in mind the: "customers love to buy, not being sold to..." philosophy, most presentations go well (=sales$$$).
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    • Profile picture of the author Jason Kanigan
      Originally Posted by Bhekizwe View Post

      interesting discussion....seems USP/UVP are buzz words.As long as you keep in mind the: "customers love to buy, not being sold to..." philosophy, most presentations go well (=sales$$$).
      Really, the thing most people miss is that to succeed in business

      You Must Become Known For or As Something.

      The person to see about ___________.


      It takes about 3 months to do this in your town, if you network, call and build your online presence.

      I did this in 2010 after I moved to the US and was finally allowed to work. After my 3 months (October, November & December), people were astonished to hear I had only been working with them that short time. They thought I had been meeting and talking to them for a year.

      Now imagine how many people must give up before those 3 months end, because so few actually make it.

      Competition? Competitive markets? I think not.
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  • Profile picture of the author LastingLifeSuccess
    Bayo,

    Good clear thinking and putting forward deeper reaching sales concepts. Unique Value Proposition speaks directly to the sales equation: Unique (great) Value = SALES. End of story for me. Cheers to Bayo for saying it like it is.
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    • Profile picture of the author Underground
      So much crap and egotism on this offline forum. The actual real world, in- practice, concept behind the phrase really can cause frazzled business owners, who get pounded by clowns all day trying to sell them the same services, to pay attention if that unique value is presented right, and greatly reduce the amount of calls you have to get through.

      It is as sound offline as it is in online conversion of the kind that the guys at Marketing Expiriments conduct regularly for massive 100-400% sales boosts on landing pages and ecommerce sites based on the clear value proposition they test for. If you can offer them something of real value, that no one else can that they haven't encountered 100 before, then you will find prospects far more receptive.

      I've looked at and applied many cold calling methodologies, from Smart Calling, Cold Calling for Chickens, Ari Galpers, and of course from people here, from the consultative to the full on straight out here's what I got, yes or no? proposition.

      Although the people touting these things think they have found a new, better way, as soon as the standard sales patter of what you do is revealed ''we are the company currently doubling so and so competitors sales'', the same guard goes up as it does with a more straight forward approach in the hands of someone with comparable experience. Because the delivery is different, but the content the same. If they've already heard from 10 'local business consultants' that week who can ''get them more leads, sales and customers from the internet'' or would like to see if they'd be open to discussing that kind of thing, then it just stands to reason that having a complete unique proposition they haven't heard will cause far fewer shut downs, because the waters haven't previously been muddied.

      It's just logic.


      Thank you Bayo. That was a good post. A sale will only come after value has been established. If you get more chances to establish value because you have something no one else is offering, you have more chances to sell.


      And yes, agree about Greenwich v Lewisham. No comparison.
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