Here's a short marketing quiz that's a real eye-opener. Answer the following three questions-the first answer that pops into your head.
1. Name a brand of blue jeans.
2. Name a hamburger fast food restaurant.
3. Name a car rental company.
Are you done? Here's what I think you answered:
1. Levi's
2. McDonald's
3. Hertz
Can I read your mind?
Am I a psychic?
Well, sorry to disappoint you - but I'm not.
I'm just demonstrating the power of the marketing strategy I'm about to reveal.
take a moment to imagine what kind of success your business would have if your product or service were similarly imprinted into your customers' minds.
Each of these brands and businesses "owns" a unique position in your mind. They mean something special to you.
I can almost hear you protesting, "But Dan, those companies spent millions of dollars to position themselves. I don't have a million-dollar marketing budget! How can I position my business, in my customers' minds, with little or no marketing budget to work with?"
The answer is to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
The concept "USP" is the brainchild of Rosser Reeves, once the chairman and chief copywriter of the Ted Bates & Co. advertising agency. In the 1950s, their advertising agency single-handedly set the stage for creative television commercials, something that had never been done before.
Reeves was an outspoken and larger than life character with a passion for advertising. One of the reasons the company soared was because of his USP theory.
His definition of what makes a USP holds true today:
All advertising must make a proposition to the customer: Buy this, and you will receive a specified benefit.The proposition must be unique; something competitors cannot claim, or have not chosen to emphasize in their promotions.The proposition must be so compelling that it motivates millions of people to act.
A USP is not just a slogan or a phrase that will appear in your advertising, although that's one potential use for it.
A USP is a concise and memorable phrase that answers your prospects' implicit question: "Why should I choose your business, product, or service versus any other?"
You may have a hot product or service, but if you cannot powerfully describe its unique value to your prospects (and create some excitement among potential buyers), you may not truly have a basis for long-term success.
Copyright: Copyright © 2006-2008 Dan Lok
About the Author:
| A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.com
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