[dropcap]USP[/dropcap]…”Unique Selling Proposition.” What does this mean? Simple…what is the key reason that customers chose to do business with you. It can be anything…product selection, cost, service, knowledgeable salespeople, or even personality. The key is understand what your USP is and make sure that your organization and efforts are alligned appropriately for your USP.
Lets explore what this could mean and take two examples in the same marketplace. We’ll use Service Joe’s Plumbing, and Bob’s Cheapest Plumbing.
Service Joe is all about – you guessed it – service. His crews are well trained, they dress in uniforms, show up on time, and take the time to do the job neatly and cleanly and 100% perfect. Joe hires experienced plumbers who may have had their own company at one point, and he has to compensate them accordingly. The are NOT the cheapest. As a result, Joe focuses his marketing on those customers who desire and appreciate this USP: retail customers and homeowners who want quick top-quality service (FAST & GOOD but not necessarily CHEAP).
Bob’s Cheapest, on the other hand, strives to provide the lowest cost plumbing services. This means that he has to keep his crews busy all the time (no idle time), and he needs to buy material in bulk (lot’s of jobs). He has a hard time telling customers exactly when his crews will arrive, and the crews don’t wear uniforms. When the crews get to the job site, their focus is to get the job done quickly and get on to the next job. Since it is plumbing, Bob does insist that the job is done safely and correctly, but neatness is not a factor. Bob’s USP is GOOD and CHEAP, but NOT FAST. Bob focuses his marketing on customers who appreciate this USP – contractors and builders and commercial customers.
Both of these companies can survive and thrive as long as they understand their USP and focus their companies around those USPs.
You probably know what your USP is, but really think deeply about whether or not you have aligned your resources 100% behind that USP. Is your marketing speaking to that USP? Are you hiring people with the necessary skills to deliver that USP?
If you feel you need any help in this area, or your market is changing and you must develop a new Unique Selling Proposition, give us a call at 401-390-3801. We can help.