| Sales Information | Let us create a 3d Digital eBook for you! DigyCat.com |
|
|
|
Unique Selling Propositions
If you have competitors, then you should have at least one Unique Selling Proposition (USP). The more REAL ones you have, the better - for your Branding, your business recognition, and your sales! We all have competitors, and the more you have, the more important it is that you have a Unique Selling Proposition (at least one). Allow me to explain. Let's use a recent example of a company that sells laser toner cartridges... Do you think they have competition online? You bet they do, another category that is swamped with resellers. Sound like yours? The task of coming up with a USP can sometimes be tough. But every company needs this, it sets you apart from your competitors. Let me stress this again, it is one or more reasons why prospects should work with you, or buy from you, or do business with you, instead of your competitors, period. Let me narrow this a little further, it used to be if you had the best price, - you got the business. Although still a minor USP, price alone should not be the only consideration, it's not really that unique... Yes, you still need to be competitive, but I don't want to be the cheapest guy... we're in this to make a profit, right? So don't make price your 'only' USP. Combine it with more value, something your competition doesn't do, or doesn't offer. O.K., back to our example. This company needed more than price, their product pricing is right inline with everyone else, so now what? First of all, you need to know what your competitors do offer. This is not a new concept. You can't compete if you don't know what you're up against. So take a little time and check out what they have. Do some research, you'd be surprised what you might find - or not. Special offers, free shipping, a contest, great customer support? Take a step back, imagine you are the customer and you do buy toner from someone a few times a year. If they do not get great service or it's just average, then chances are you can sway them your way. This references "customer loyalty" another chapter, but it follows first getting the customer. So, let's get the prospect as a customer first. Now, what do we do to sway these prospects? We offer them what the competition doesn't. This can be discovered with your competitive research. Oh, and if you still haven't found a USP or a few - then Hyperformance Media can help you with this as well. Write down every idea that you and your team come up with. Please don't worry about how silly they might seem (at the time), just brainstorm with the data you have gained. The reason I say to include the silly ones, and others is because sometimes those little ideas that you laughed at can actually be morphed to create your USP. No idea is too far fetched at this point, and usually the ideas you laughed at are, in fact, some things your competitors don't offer. That's where we go next. On the toner company we came up with all kinds, some were already offered by competitors, some were not. The idea is to initially come up with as many as possible. Here are some of what we narrowed the field to (we started with about two dozen);
We are getting more competitive immediately by implementing some simple offerings. Let's take each one in this example and see how we can use it or discard it to our advantage.
So, what did this company find? In a nutshell - Their products are priced well to compete. In this case, we discarded free shipping as not really cost effective. We stressed Satisfied Customers in all of our marketing materials with testimonials and real-life examples. We are also developing a contest to further set us apart from our competitors. We could not find a free gift we thought would add any value to the customer (but continue to look). They are considering a Referral Program as well. The real USP in combination with the others was our unique E-mail Reminder System. At that time, no other competitor was offering anything like this! This IS a Unique Selling Proposition and was perfect for our example. Put all these together, and this company has numerous 'edges' on their competition. Once customers are aware of these differences that set you apart from all the rest - growth is almost certain! That company is in a much better position to 'own' their market online, or at a minimum increase their market share. The more you get the word out, the more you're sure to benefit from these type ideas. I understand this was a pretty broad example but you should get the idea. You won't always come up with an idea that no competitor has or offers, but if only 3-6 competitors offer that same USP, you are still in the top tier of your competition instead of lost somewhere un-noticed while buyers continue to purchase through your competition. You decide. Use this article for your training, website, or newsletter by simply adding the following footer; Written by and Copyright © 2003 About The Author Scott is the Founder and Sr. Project Manager for Hyperformance Media.com, a Technology Marketing Company serving online businesses since 1996. His 23+ years of experience in the computer industry will help you succeed. Their website offers free education & resources that will assist any business in successfully marketing their company online.
MORE RESOURCES: Sales - Google News What Nintendo's 2011 sales mean for Wii U, third parties - Gamasutra
Orchids Paper Products Company Reports Record Quarterly Converted Product ... - Sacramento Bee
Apotex pays Bristol, Sanofi damages over Plavix - Wall Street Journal
Beer sales could be boon for Arizona's universities - AZ Central.com
Fed Sells $6.2 Billion of Bonds From AIG Rescue to Goldman - San Francisco Chronicle
iPhone on Sprint: Great for sales, terrible for profits - Christian Science Monitor
Wells Fargo's Carroll eyes cross-selling by brokers - Reuters
Las Vegas Still Selling More Homes in January, Yet Prices Still Declining - World Property Channel
Newsstand Report: Sales Down Across the Board, Elle Plumets 18%, and ... - Fashionista
Average Salespeople “Fly By The Seat Of Their Pants” - Utah Pulse
|
RELATED ARTICLES
A Look at Mannequin Heads A mannequin head is a life-size head that includes all of the features of a human face. Mannequin heads can be used in several different situations. Dr. Seuss's 3-Step Selling Process Hello Everyone: Here's a unique look at learning how tosell: "I am Sam. Sam I am. Selling For Keeps When you are in sales and you come across a customer, you don't want to think of that customer as someone you can only make one sale to, you want to think of them as someone you can make several sales to.I can remember not to long ago when I was in Banking working as a branch manager, when I would meet with my staff every Monday morning to go over their individual weekly goals. SPIN, Relevant To Both Salesmanship & Advertising! Neil Rackham turned the world of high-ticket salesmanship on its ear. By observing over 35,000 actual sales calls, he scientifically isolated & identified the specific behaviors exhibited by successful salespeople. The Force That Drives Buying Decisions What do people buy? They don't buy your wonderful presentation. People buy solutions and visions. 5+5 = Your Dream JOHN DI LEMME ON "5 + 5 = Your Dream" I know your thinking.. How A Simple Greeting Or Post Card Can Turn Into Cash - Guaranteed I've been using a technique that has helped me to get business I otherwise wouldn't. This will get you more business also. Creating Intense Emotions That Motivate People Ever wish that your presentations could be as much fun as a cool TV commercial? Come late January every year network TV treats us to America's finest and most expensive commercials - Superbowl commercials. You may remember some of these even now, 2 weeks later. Book Yourself Solid THE 7 KEYS TO GETTING MORE CLIENTS THAN YOU CAN HANDLE EVEN IF YOU HATE MARKETING AND SELLINGClients often ask me how I built a six figure income working as an independent professional in less than 10 months. I narrowed it down to 7 simple steps. Qualifying Your Prospect How do you respond when an absolute stranger calls, at work or at home, and begins to ask questions? "Are you the person who??" "What is your marketing strategy?" "Do you own or rent?" Even, "How are you today?" Are you annoyed and put off by these questions? Do you respond, "I already have a vendor," "I'm not interested," "Send a brochure" or "What are you selling?" (These days my response is to tell these callers to order Cold Calling College!) This question-asking strategy does not work. It does not work to qualify your prospect, and it does not work to set your prospect at ease. How Many Ways Do You Have To Justify Your Price? If you were selling a mansion, and you were selling it for 25 cents, some wiseacre would inevitably respond, "It costs too much."When that happens, are you prepared?As an excercise, make a list of 20 "reasons why" your services are worth your fees. The Most Important Word in a Business Letter What do you think it is? Many experts insist it's the word "you." Why?When most of us read anything, we're looking for something that interests us. Can Barter Help Increase Cash Sales and Visability for Your Small Business? Barter is becoming an increasingly popular method of commerce. The U. Give Up the Need to Sell Most business people will tell you that selling is not their favorite activity. Let's explore a way to look at the process of sales a bit more favorably. Can Walmart Make You Rich? Have you ever shopped at Walmart and thought.. Seminars for Prospecting The purpose of a 1- or 2-hour seminar is to attract potential customers for your product or service. The topic must be provocative enough to attract attendees, without sounding too much like a sales pitch with breakfast thrown in. Program Your Biocomputer For Sales Success Selling isn't something you do to people, it's something you do for them. If you feel as though you're being pushy or twisting arms when you are interacting with prospective customers or clients, you might be doing just that. Listen! How to Sell More by Listening More! In my opinion, one of the biggest skills of being able to sell well is developing your listening skills. Most sales companies and sales people talk about being consultative but they don't really know what consulting is! No-one can consult if they cannot listen first. Before They buy What You Say - 10 Steps To Selling Yourself You are the productWe're all in the selling business whether we like it or not.It doesn't matter whether you're a lawyer or an accountant,a manager or a politician, an engineer or a doctor. The Secrets Behind Hypnotic Selling Hypnosis has been a taboo word for far too long. And many people see it in a mystical light. |
|
Looking For Royalty Free Photos for your Website, Business or Advertising?
List4Sale Domain Is For Sale - $10,000 For Enquiries eMail Us © www.List4Sale.biz 2011 |