A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is the feature a seller offers as the reason the seller’s product or service is different or better than the completion’s product or service. Your USP is the reason your customers buy from you.
I know of three stone fabricators that have all done business for years on the same block in a midsize town in Wisconsin. After years of a peaceful co-existence the market got tough and one of the shops decided to put a sign in the window saying: “We make the best stone countertop is town.”
Not to be out done the second shop soon put a sign in their window proclaiming: “We make the stone countertops in Wisconsin.”
Finally, the third shop put a sign in their window saying: “We make the best stone countertops on the block.”
You need to find a unique selling proposition that gives your prospects a reason to buy from you. It is best if your competition cannot easily or quickly duplicate your USP.
Without a USP the prospect can only make their decision based on price.
To develop your USP you need to understand what you do that is different than your competition.
If you have a number of different kinds of competition you may need to develop several different USPs to deal with each of the different types.
Possible USPs:
· Do you have a unique way of making tops that your competition cannot duplicate? A CNC machine when no one else in your market has one can be your USP. But hand craftsmanship in a market where everything is done by computer can also be used as a USP. You just have to develop the strategy.
· Do you have unique polishing process
· Do you the largest or most unique selection of slabs in your market?
· Is your process of helping the consumer design their kitchen or select their slabs such as having a designer accompany the consumer to the slab wholesaler different or unique.
· Have you won awards. Awards are great because they take some of the risk of the purchase out of the process.
· Does your company or staff have more experience than the competition; for example: our staff has an average of 20 years experience.
· Do you or your staff have Unique Certification or training by manufacturers
· Do you have fast turnaround or the opposite we take longer because we have so many satisfied customers and we take the time to do it right.
· Develop a checklist that consumers should look for from a countertop fabricator so they can distinguish you from the garage fabricators. Even if you do not get the job it will make the cheap guys job harder. If you do not have one send me an email and I will send you a copy of our blog post “How to Buy the Cheapest Granite Countertop.”
· Some other USPs might be Unique accessories, special accessories, special sealers
If you use any variation of quality such as best stone countertop in town you better be ready to define quality and make sure you meet your own standards. Better quality is not a USP unless you can define it and prove it.
Avoid price! You cannot afford to be the cheapest in town and if you advertise price you will attract the wrong kind of buyer.
