A strategic marketing plan always starts with a simple question, and it is the answer to that question that defines your Unique Value Proposition.
Why should I buy from your company and not your competitor?
In other words, what sets you apart and how will you meet the needs of your client. Be careful that you don’t just throw out some glib response. Take the time to consider what you offer to your clients and how you meet their needs.
- Who are we?
- What do we value most highly?
- What are our strengths?
- What’s the greater impact we desire to have?
Stating what you do best should be easy – right? Not always. To help you focus on your most important selling points, we have put together a UVP Checklist to help you verbalize your unique value proposition.
UVP Checklist
As with any process, there are a series of sequential steps that must be followed. The first is to define your customers.
Step #1 – Describe Your Ideal Customer
The ultimate goal is customer engagement. Customer engagement just means getting your prospect’s attention and moving them further along the buying process. How do you do this? First, you need to understand your customer. What motivates him? How can you meet his needs? What types of friction might develop? To determine all this information, you need to create a buyer persona.
Creating a buyer persona is just a fancy term for identifying your ideal customer. Today’s customers live multi-dimensional lives and their buying behaviors reflect that complexity. Think about your primary customer and make a list of their attributes. This may take a bit of imagination or a deep dive into Google Analytics, but you can do it.
- Gender
- Location
- Income Level
- Education
- Buying Habits
- Leisure Activities
- And anything else that defines them.
Once you know who your client is, then it is time to take a good look at your business and how it can meet their needs.
Step #2 – Define Your Selling Points
List your selling points. There is no need to get fancy. Just jot them down on a piece of paper. If you are having trouble identifying more than one or two points, then remember this.
Your selling points come out of answering the ultimate question in the mind of our ideal prospect: “If I am your Ideal Prospect, why should I buy from you rather than any of your competitors?”
Try to identify five or more selling points. Rank them in order of importance to YOUR CUSTOMER – not in the order you think is the most important.
Then, you need to consider how you currently market your product. How have you been answering the question of why they should buy from you? Can you find it verbalized anywhere on your website?
Step #3 – Writing Your Unique Value Proposition
Now that you’ve defined your unique value proposition, you need to verbalize it. It is important for you to communicate your UVP both internally and externally. After all, it is just as important for your employees to know the attributes of what they are selling as it is your clients.
Internal UVP Statement
Typically, your internal UVP statement is more thorough and less concerned with fancy wording. Write complete sentences that clearly define your selling points in the order of their importance.
For example:
XYZ Company is (1) the only manufacturer in the Tri-State area that will take custom orders. (2) We deliver every order within two weeks and (3) offer a complete money-back guarantee with no questions asked.
This internal statement enumerates the top 3 selling points for XYZ Company.
External UVP Statement
The external copy is similar, just leave out the numbers and write a different version for every client audience.
For Example:
ABC Company sells two products.
UVP for Product #1
ABC Company offers the most options for Product #1. We guarantee a proper fit or you don’t pay for your custom order. ABC Company has had a 5-Star rating and 100% customer satisfaction for 15 years.
UVP for Product #2
ABC Company offers the largest selection of pre-made Product #2. We guarantee delivery within two weeks or you don’t pay shipping charges. ABC Company has had a 5-Star rating and 100% customer satisfaction for 15 years.
Step #3 – Evaluating Your UVP
Consider the reality of the sales funnel. First of all, it is inverted. We try to move people up and gravity (distractions, uncertainty, and confusion) pull them down. Your unique value proposition needs to be defined in a way that it eliminates that confusion. It should increase conversion.
So, look objectively at the UVP you put on paper.
Does it have appeal? Will they read it and think “I want it”? Does it answer these important questions?
- What makes your offering most relevant to the customer?
- How can you make the customer say “Man, I’ve got to do this now, I can’t put it off any longer”?
- What do your customers not know about us that they would want to know?
- What’s the urgency level in the customer’s mind?
- What’s the risk and pain of not acting?
- What is it you’re saving them from?
- What kind of results can people expect?
Take Into Account the Mental Cost
Not only do you have to define what you offer, you need to make sure your client knows what is required of them. How long will it take to place an order? How quickly will they receive their products or services? What types of information will they need to provide?
While this does not have to be part of your UVP statement, it does need to be spelled out clearly in your literature and on your website. Studies show that clients are willing to pay more for a good experience.
And user experience is what keeps clients coming back.
Web Marketing and Web Design
Unfortunately, most web designers and web marketing agencies never stop to consider a client’s unique value proposition. Effect Web Agency feels that it is important to define your UVP because it influences every aspect of your website. Workflow, content, keywords, and even imagery should all reflect your unique value proposition. Your message should be consistent across all platforms.
For help defining your unique value proposition, contact Effect Web Agency, in Granger IN or Indianapolis. We employ specialists in all areas of web design and website marketing. Call today for a free consultation.
