In business it is important to have as many competitive advantages as possible to stay ahead of the competition. One of the most basic yet more difficult concepts is the unique selling point. The USP is exactly what it sounds like. It is a marketing program based specifically on the idea that your product is truly unique to those of the competition. It sounds very simple but in reality it’s not. With some many ubiquitous products out there you have to really think hard about how to present yours as unique. Well, in business as we all know you market the sizzle and sell the sausage!

The idea being if you have a good product your marketing technique must highlight the uniqueness of the product even if it isn’t all that unique. Having a unique selling point based on why your people should buy from you is certainly effective and once you have it in place the results can be phenomenal. When your advertising uses a USP approach you are saying to the customer no one else can offer you what we do. Convincing people of that is the key. You have to really look inside your company and come up with the why’s of how you are better than the competition and highlight those to the n’th degree.

Some people have argued that USP’s in the past have become synonymous with a certain core product. For instance, if a delivery service offers a 30 minute guarantee is that considered unique anymore? No. So, the important thing to do is make sure that your unique selling point is not predicated on something already out there in popular business culture. There has to be something that you do differently that will believed by the customer and cause them to switch to your product or company. Differentiation is key.

Using a unique selling point could indeed put you and your company on the map. It is an effective way to get customers on your side. There are fewer pitfalls to USP’s than there are benefits. Studies throughout the years since USP’s were developed in the 1940′s show that this marketing program when used effectively has high concentrations or market penetration and are continue to be one of the most successful ways to market your product or company. A unique selling point may be just what you need for your company’s future success.