Can it be true?

Are there really 6 Hacks that can help you find your USP and blow away your competition?

Before I reveal the answers, let me tell you a quick story to provide some context.

It was a winter’s afternoon in Cape Town, South Africa… on the 5th of July 2017 to be exact. My wife and I had a doctor’s appointment.

We sat in the waiting room, anxiously waiting to hear my wife’s name being called.

We waited…and waited…and finally, it was our turn, the doctor’s secretary ushed us into the surgery room.

”Hello” greeted the doctor. She was warm and friendly, and greeted us with a smile.

She probably sensed our tension and said “just relax, it’s normal for you to feel a bit nervous, but don’t worry.”

She asked my wife to go into the next room and sit on the bed, she said that I could also go through.

I pulled up a chair and sat next to this funny-looking machine. She proceeded to lift my wife’s top and squeeze some cold gel onto her tummy…

Quickly, an image popped onto the computer screen…” Yep there it is, you’re having a baby!” the doctor confirmed.

We were ecstatic, it’s like time stopped and we were about to shout out when the doctor spoke again…” wait a minute, there’s something else here”…

“Congratulations You’re Having Twins!”

Fast forward a bit…
As my identical girls grew up, I noticed something quite unusual but fascinating…

They looked the same, sounded the same, liked the same things, and obviously had the exact same DNA, and yet…They were completely different!

But how can that be…I mean, they have the same parents, the same home environment, exposed to the same daily experiences and…yet they’re still completely unique.

Why?…Because their interpretation of the world is unique.

Anyway, my long-winded point is this…

No two people are alike (even identical twins) and no two businesses are alike…even if you’re selling the same product or service,
Let me explain

In Robert Bly’s book: Magnetic Selling, he explains that there are 6 reasons why someone will buy from you:

1. Features and Benefits - Focus on making the benefits really attractive to your prospect
2. Quality - Is the quality of your product adequate to meet the needs of your prospect
3. Support - They want to feel that they’re being taken care of
4. Ease of Use - Too complicated is usually a sales killer…unless you can explain it simply
5. Cost - How much they are willing to pay
6. Image - Reputation and credibility of the seller

So let me ask you these two questions:

1. Why should your prospect buy from you?

2. What’s your USP?

If you’ve got an answer to both these questions then great stuff…no need to read on. However… if you have no idea what I’ve just asked you then, even better!
Read on…

What Is Your USP?

USP, also known as the unique selling proposition, is often misunderstood in advertising.

Your USP is what separates your product or service from your competitors. In other words…what can you offer that no one else can?

When creating your USP…you must:

Be clear and concise…be very specific i.e. use specific numbers or specific facts
Focus on benefits
Differentiate yourself
NEVER use cliches
Build trust
Compare and contrast

Let’s break up your USP into the 6 areas we mentioned before…and get those prospects
flooding through your door.

Here are 6 USP Hacks You Can Use In Your Business

Hack 1: Unique Benefits They Want

What makes the features and benefits of your product or service stand out?

Whenever I think of answering this question, I think of something Dan Lok once said…

Me Too - When you have the same product/service as your competitor

Me Better - Your product/service is slightly better

Me Only - You are unique…one of a kind

Even though prospects will buy from any of the three categories above…Which one do you think will get the most attention, the most excitement, and most the buzz on social media?

Yes…Being Me Only…Unique…One of a Kind!

Quick question…Do you like big talkers? People, who toot their own trumpets but have very little gumption?

Nope, I don’t think so. We all like people and businesses…of substance, right? So here’s a pro tip:

Don’t tell them you’re different…show them you’re different.

Hack 2: Superior Quality

Nobody likes bad quality…period!
Why people buy bad quality is another story.

However, if your product outperforms your competitor’s product or, is made with higher quality materials or ingredients…it’s a good idea to use this fact to your advantage.
But just remember…

Don’t exaggerate your product’s quality. Just be truthful about what it can and can’t do.

Hack 3: Superior Customer Support

“People will buy from you because they feel understood…not because they understand your product.“- Dan Lok

One way to really take care of people is through superior customer service,
Not just customer service… but superior customer service.

Think of your favorite restaurant, your favorite store, or your favorite anything really. Why is it your favorite?

Is it convenience…
Is it the price…
Or is it how you feel when you go there, how you feel buying it or, how you feel having it.

Yes…superior customer service will…hands down…without any doubt …get prospects through the door and keep your customers coming back for more.

I remember reading a slogan that said…

Why Fit In…When You Can Standout

Hack 4: Make Anything You’re Selling…Ridiculously Simple To Use

If you have to sell something complicated like computer hardware or bitcoin…the trick is to explain it in plain simple language.

If you really must use industry jargon…then keep it to a minimum…and explain it simply.

If you’re selling a physical product that has never been used before…explain the ease of use. For some brilliant examples of this in action, check out the Apple vs Microsoft Ads

Hack 5: Cheap vs Expensive

Lowest Price Strategy
If you’ve got the market cornered on budget-priced items…then flaunt it!

Some big box stores have made this USP famous lately, but it’s not a new concept.

In fact, selling for cheaper has been around as long as capitalism itself.

Personally, I’m not crazy about price wars because someone can always come along and sell for cheaper. Then it’s time for a new strategy.

Premium Price Strategy
Don’t be scared to sell at premium prices…people will always pay more for products or services they perceive to be valuable.

This reminds me of a passage I read in Robert Cialdini’s book - Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion.

The story goes something like this…
A woman had opened an Indian jewelry store in Arizona. The story involved a certain amount of turquoise jewelry she had been having trouble selling.

It was the peak of the tourist season, the store was unusually full of customers, the turquoise pieces were of good quality for the prices she was asking; yet they had not sold. Her friend had attempted a couple of standard sales tricks to get them moving.

She tried calling attention to them by shifting their location to a more central display area; no luck. She even told her sales staff to "push" the items hard, again without success.

Finally, the night before leaving on an out-of-town buying trip, she scribbled a note to her head saleswoman, "Everything in this display case, price x %," hoping just to be rid of the offending pieces, even if at a loss.

When she returned a few days later, she was not surprised to find that every article had been sold. She was shocked, though, to discover that, because the employee had read the "%" in her scrawled message as a "2," the entire allotment had sold out at twice the original price!

The customers, mostly well-to-do vacationers with little knowledge of turquoise, were using a standard principle—a stereotype—to guide their buying: "expensive = good."

Thus the vacationers, who wanted "good" jewelry, saw the turquoise pieces as decidedly more valuable and desirable when nothing about them was enhanced but the price.

I think you get the point here so…don’t be afraid to offer premium prices as your USP.

Hack 6: How To Up Your Reputation Game

Establish Authority
People will love doing business with you if you can show you’re an expert in a particular industry.

No matter how big or small your company is, you need to demonstrate authority in your copy. Why?

People respect authority because people naturally respect and appreciate the knowledge, so build your credibility by using testimonials, reviews, results, and research (see my last post for more…)

Exclusive Rights
If you can legitimately claim that your product is protected by a patent or copyright, licensing agreement, etc., then you have a winner for exclusive rights…and some serious credibility.

Adding Value
We stress this point in almost every single post we do…and this one will be no exception.
Add value…add some more value…and just for good measure add some more value.
Why?
If you do this you’ll have no competition.

Have unique guarantees
Be creative with your guarantees. Figure out what works for your business and your target audience…that nobody else is doing
For example…A 55-day money-back guarantee

Testimonials
It’s always a good idea to show how people have benefitted from your unique business, guarantee, customer service, etc.

Make it easy to buy
Remove all risk from the purchasing process.
The easier you can make this the more likely the sale.

What if You’re Selling The Same Product As Your Competitor?

Ok, what if your product or service is no different than your competition, what then?
Even if you’re selling the same product or service, you can always find a difference to make you stand out.

The only exception is if, your prospect knows the inner workings of both you and your competitor’s product, including the manufacturing process, customer service, and everything in-between, then you have a little creative licensing here…but this is very rare.

Bonus: Statements to Avoid When Crafting USPs

Have you read our post on “Too Good To Be True” Syndrome?

If you missed it go check it out, but basically when creating your USP, it must still be believable in order to build trust in your brand…So it’s best to avoid the following over-the-top statements:

We’re The Best In The World
We Offer The Lowest Price
We’re The Biggest
We Offer More
Best Customer Service Ever

Plus exaggerated claims just make you sound like a salesperson…don’t sound like a salesperson!

We hope you’ve found this post useful in some way.

Just remember…No two people are alike (even identical twins) and…no two businesses are ever alike! So let me ask you this question now

Why should I buy from you?…

Bye for now.