What is your Unique Selling Proposition?

So you’ve decided that you want to sell oranges.  Awesome!

Go Get ‘em!

Maybe your USP is freshly squeeze oranges with a touch of ginger, or a line of spice infused fruits. You’d want to point the benefit of this added feature to your customer so that your product stands out as the preferred.

..but I’m sure that you know that this is not a unique idea.  People have been selling oranges for donkey years, however your  unique selling proposition (USP) could make all the difference.

Huh?

Let me explain.

First off, unique selling proposition or USP is simply what makes your product or service different from or better than your competitors.  What you’re doing is identifying a feature and accentuating its benefits to your customer. The question you’re answering with your USP is

“What makes me better or different?”

How can you sell oranges differently? Why should people who want oranges think of your oranges as their first choice?

Here are a few examples of USP’s that you might recognize:

• The Economist: ‘You’ve seen the news, now discover the story’ / Why does this work? It’s so clear. They’re not technically trying to compete with news outlets. The goal is related but different and specially curated for those who care about “the story” and not just the ‘headlines’.

• WooCommerce: ‘Build exactly the eCommerce website you want’ / Why does this work? They point out their distinct difference from other eCommerce websites by relaying the fact that the WooCommerce platform is easy to customize and there are no limitations unlike other sites.

• Postmates: ‘Anything, anytime, anywhere’ / Why does this work? Not only is it different, it reminds me of the initial FedEx promise of overnight delivery that was once thought of as impossible till it became a verb for every overnight shipment. Postmate, before being recently acquired by Uber was beginning to become a household name because of it’s distinct difference of making it possible to deliver all types of goods locally.

The main idea I’m trying to pass across here is not just in building a product or service with frills & flexibility.

Frills – Frills are generally non-essential features or embellishments.  For example, when a customer orders oranges from you, the way you present it to them and the extras you provide could be why you’re the chosen vendor for oranges. Maybe, a new orange flavoured drink or food recipe to try out, an orange peeler or a fancy reusable bowl that packages the fruits is added in as a plus.

Flexibility – Customers know that your oranges are provided in packs of 4, but this particular customer comes in requesting just one pack of 6.  Although this is not how things are typically done, your willingness to repackage a pack of 6 just for that customer is flexibility.

People come to you because of the perks, packaging, presentation or willingness to customize to their needs.

Hmm…

“Well, my model is built on providing low cost products, providing frills do not pair well with my model...  It’s completely misaligned with my goals”.

Ok.  Let’s take a look at one or two low cost establishments;

Ever heard of the store, No Frills?

2020 Will be a year to remember for sure. Crystallizing this moment with this NO FRILLS ad.

For the sake of those who haven’t, No Frills is a Canadian grocery store which provides its customers with deep discounts.  Its tagline, “won’t be beat” says it all.  If a consumer finds a lower price on any of products that they carry in their store, they will match the price.  That alone is flexibility! – Flexibility of pricing.  

Being the lowest cost is also a benefit.

Using WestJet, AGAIN…yes I know.  I like WestJet!

WestJet cuts on frills so as to provide cheap tickets to its passengers.  By introducing online check-in options, they are able to cut down on physical check-in desks.  Note that I said cut down, not eliminate.  By keeping certain services available to its passengers, it is able to cater to a wider variety of passengers.  Some services are available at no additional cost, while others are available at an additional charge.

For fairly simple products or services that are easy to imitate the need for frills and flexibility is imperative for long-term survival.

A business that is focused on providing the lowest possible price should be flexible in their offerings, especially in areas where you find yourself unable to offer your customers any frills.

//What frills can you incorporate into your business today?