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Unique up on it!
Subject Line: Unique up on it!
The Write Market Release
Vol 2. Issue 12
Unique up on it!
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CONTENTS IN THIS ISSUE
1. Editor's Remarks
2. How to Write a Marketing Plan - Part IV
a) Quick Outline of a Marketing Plan
b) Unique Selling Proposition
c) 20 Ways to Beat Your Competition
d) Fulfill The Needs And Desires Of Your Prospects by Craig Valine
3. What's New at The Write Market
4. Get Your Ad in TWM's Release!
5. Administrative Information
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EDITOR's REMARKS
Can you believe this is our 24th issue? That's
two years of publishing our little ezine. I'm proud
that we've lasted that long. We didn't know a thing
about publishing an ezine when we started, however,
we learned as we went along.
The title of this issue is, "Unique up on it!" This month,
we're going to talk about the Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
and how you can create a killer USP.
It's best not to "sneak" up on anything related to business,
so we continue with our tutorial, "How to Write a Marketing Plan."
If you've missed the previous articles in this tutorial, you will find
them archived here:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/marketing-plan.shtml
Write on,
Renee Kennedy
rkennedy@thewritemarket.com
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QUICK OUTLINE OF A MARKETING PLAN
(This is a quick review to show you where
we're at and where we're going.)
1. Market Research
2. Target Market
3. Product
4. Competition
5. Mission Statement
6. Market Strategies
7. Pricing, Positioning and Branding
8. Budget
9. Marketing Goals
10. Monitor Your Results
For more details on this plan see:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/marketing/outline.htm
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UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION
by Renee Kennedy
What is a unique selling proposition or USP?
Very simply stated, your USP is what differentiates your product
from your competition's product.
What a USP looks like:
1. It's one sentence.
2. It is clearly written, so that anyone can understand it.
3. It should be believable.
4. It is composed of one benefit that is unique solely to your
company or product
Develop a USP using one or more of the following
strategies:
1. Focus on a niche. In other words, before you develop
the USP, find your target market. Who exactly are you selling
to? Last month, we covered target market here:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/marketing/target.htm
2. Fill a void. This is similar to finding a niche. Look for
a void in the market and fill it with your USP.
3. Concentrate on "pain" or "pleasure."
4. State how your product will solve a problem.
5. Look at your competition. (The next article is
about how to look at your competition.)
6. Tell the customer what they are going to get - what's in
it for them.
7. Make it "measurable." Time and price are measurable
qualities.
More Tips:
1. Sit down with a piece of paper:
a. Brainstorm.
b. List all the benefits your company or product can offer.
c. Prioritize those benefits in order of what is the strongest,
and most unique to your business.
d. Write one sentence that conveys the first benefit on the list.
2. Every employee should know your USP and
be able to state it. (Especially if you are a small business.)
3. Your marketing campaigns, your marketing plan,
and your business plan should surround your USP.
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20 WAYS TO BEAT YOUR COMPETITION
by Renee Kennedy and Terry Kent
(We really had some fun writing this one!)
Make a list of products/services that compete with yours.
Go to their web sites and compare their offers to yours.
Some elements of comparison and sample USP's:
1. Delivery - Dominos Pizza, "Domino's delivers, 30 minute delivery
or your money back."
2. Durability - Energizer, "Outlasts all other batteries.... It keeps
going and going and going."
3. Performance/Efficiency - M&M's, "Melt in your mouth, not in your hand."
(Well, that's a type of performance!)
Tide, "You bought a high efficiency washing machine... Why
wouldn't you buy a high efficiency detergent?"
4. What it's made out of - Ragu, "It's in there!"
(I hated those Ragu commercials, but I sure do remember them.)
5. Provides feelings of self worth - NIKE, "Just do it."
Kia, "Who wouldn't be proud? Darn good cars. Darn good warranty."
(Now that's my kinda commercial.)
"Feelings of self worth" is one that you can really delve into. Go
back to the article, "Product" for more ideas:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/marketing/product.htm
6. Guarantee/Warranty - Midas Muffler, "Guaranteed for as long as you
own your car."
7. Price - Walmart, "Rollback the prices."
8. Convenience or ease of use - 7-11, "Open all night."
Dunkin Donuts, "Time to make the donuts..."
impying that whenever you're ready for a donut,
the donuts will be ready for you.
9. Choice - Verizon, "Whatever you want, whatever you need."
JCPenney, "It's all inside."
10. Saves money - Geico, "A 15 minute call could save you
15% or more on car insurance."
11. Bonuses or Extras - Here's an article on that one:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/articles/dotson4.htm
12. Process of making the product - Stouffers, "Nothing comes
closer to home." Burger King, "Flame broiled the way you like it."
(If you have a home made or handmade or personalized product,
you can really develop a strong USP.)
13. Customer Service - Burger King, "Have it your way."
(This was an older Burger King USP)
14. The ONLY one - Paxil, "The only mediation proven effective
for social anxiety disorder."
(Can you tell I like to watch the soaps?)
15. For the betterment of society - Phillip Morris, "Working to make
a difference, the people of Phillip Morris."
(This one really irks me, should read,
"Working to bring you lung cancer and liver disease..."
but, I have to give credit where credit is due,
they are doing a heck of a job at re-branding.)
16. Expert's Choice - Metamusil, "The Doctor's natural choice."
17. Solves a problem. thingamajob.com, "Don't get lost in
cyberspace. Life 2.0 starts here."
18. Dependability. First National Bank, "Here Today.... Here Tomorrow..
We have stood the Test of Time."
Maytag, "The dependability people."
19. Complementary Services - Are there other services that
complement the main service that you are offering? (Full Service
or Service Added)
20. Targeting Service - We do one thing and we do it better
than everyone else.
Some companies will take a few of the above and encorporate them
into one strong USP. For instance, Kia takes "feelings of
self worth" and "guarantee/warranty" and "dependability" and
rolls them all into a bold USP.
If your competition is using one of the above, then you need to
establish a USP that is different than theirs, attack in a different
way than your competition.
Out of the above 20 examples, has something struck you?
Can you say that your company does one or more of those things
better than all of your competition? That's your USP.
Next month, stay tuned for the biggie - Marketing Strategies.
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FULLFILL THE NEEDS AND DESIRES OF YOUR PROSPECTS
© 2001 By Craig Valine
The key to a great marketing campaign starts with under-
standing how the needs of your prospect relate to your
product or service. It's basic, but most business owners
never consider the thought. Until you know what they need
and determine how you can satisfy those needs, you can't
really plan a meaningful campaign.
Get a pen and paper out and ask yourself these questions:
· If I were a prospect getting solicited by my company,
what would it take to get my attention?
· What promise would I want fulfilled?
· What needs would I want to have met?
Now ask yourself:
· What needs and desires are my competitors not fulfilling?
The best way to find out where you need the most work is to
list all the needs and desires your competitors are already
fulfilling. Maybe you are fulfilling these desires too,
but is it possible that you could articulate it better than
they can? Sure!
A good USP (unique selling proposition) is one that fulfills
a void in the marketplace. It is communicated clearly and
concisely so that your prospects "get it."
It's also known as your "big promise." So, it's important
that not only do you communicate it in everything you do
and say... but that you standby it - always!
To formulate your marketing campaign, along with the lines
of your USP, I suggest asking yourself the following
questions.
· How can I show more interest in my customers than my
competition?
· How much more service can I offer than my competitor does?
· What are my specific added or extended service benefits?
· When I have used similar services from competitors, where
have I been most impressed -- or most disappointed? And,
why?
· How can I make my customers understand how important they
are to me?
· How can I persuade them they are being treated with
professional interest and courtesy?
· What specific needs should my product or service fulfill?
As I've said before, without a customer your business doesn't
exist. Stop running your business the way YOU want it, and
start running it the way YOUR CUSTOMERS want it.
It's all about them. It's never about you.
Treat your customers like dear and valued friends. Give them
what they want. Treat them with respect and courtesy.
Communicate with them often. Let them know you care about
their wants, needs and desires.
If you've asked yourself the questions above, you are 1000
percent better than your competition. Rarely will ANY business
ask themselves these questions. It shows in their poor revenues.
Always remember: It's all about their needs, wants and desires.
It's never about yours.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Craig Valine is the publisher of the
The AwfulMarketing Alert Newsletter, "Where you learn
GOOD marketing strategies by looking at those who do
it really BAD."
To subscribe his free newsletter, go to:
http://awfulmarketing.com/ezinesubscribe.htm
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WHAT'S NEW AT THE WRITE MARKET
Several new articles on marketing:
http://www.thewritemarket.com/articles.shtml
Our book is now in print!
Search Engine Optimization and Placement:
An Internet Marketing Course for Webmasters:
http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=93459
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GET YOUR AD IN THIS EZINE
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webmaster@thewritemarket.com
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Copyright 2001 The Write Market
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