A USP answers the question, “Why should I choose you over your competition?”

The Dangers Of Not Having A Solid USP
The reason a USP is so important is because if you can’t tell somebody or convince somebody in a short statement why you are better than your competition then they can’t differentiate the two of you, and you become “more of the same”.

When you are the same as your competitor your service becomes a commodity – which is the last thing you want to happen.

Getting Shopped On Price
When your service becomes a commodity you start getting shopped on price. If your marketing, service, and unique selling proposition are all the same, the only thing that makes you different IS your price.  Prospects have to make some kind of decision on whom to go with and if price is the only differentiating factor, that will be the one used to hire you or not. This is a worst case scenario. The last thing you want is for someone NOT to focus on the value you can provide them and instead force you to compete on price and lose profits.

How To Stop Getting Shopped On Price
The quickest way to get someone to not focus on your price is to get them to focus all of their attention on your service, on what makes you unique, and on how you can solve their problems.  Doing all of these things will make people willing to spend more money with you than with your competition because they feel confident that you can give them what they need.

Developing Your USP
An important aspect of a USP is it needs to be easy to understand.  It has to be so obvious that your grandma could read it and know exactly what you do and why that is useful to her.

6 Example USP Categories
Now, I am going to give you a few different topics that you could base your USP around.

1. How you deliver your product.
   Maybe you deliver your service different than your competition. I know of a few companies that only provide remote support. They do 10 to 15 work orders a day specializing in this niche.
2. A different kind of business model.
   You could focus your USP around providing a unique offering like a free computer crisis hotline or a pick-up and drop-off model.
3. Financing you provide
   While other competitor’s in your area are charging full price up front, you may find success offering high-end solutions and putting together financing options to make it easier for clients to spend money with you.
4. A niche market you focus on
   Many tech companies specialize in nice markets like the health industry. If you do work for a law firm or accounting company, you may find that targeting similar companies can provide a profitable marketing solution.
5. Response time
   Think Dominos. They guarantee their pizza within 30 minutes or it’s free.  You too could build your USP around your response time. Determine what response time you can realistically commit to and consider using that to stand out from the crowd.
6. Money back guarantee
   I am a huge, huge, huge fan of money back guarantees, especially in the tech business, and any other business where trust is a big issue.  For example, with my computer consulting business-in-a-box I have a one-year money back guarantee.  I have this because trust is very important; you have to build that with your clients.  When you provide IT services and you offer a money back guarantee, you will find that sales will go up because less people feel there is a risk with hiring you for the first time.

USP In Action
I was just at GNC the other day, buying different supplements, and I wasn’t aware of their return policy. There was a product I wanted to try, but it was expensive and I was afraid of spending the money. Then the clerk told me about their guarantee which states that I can use as much of the product as I want and if I don’t like it, no matter how much is left, I can bring it back for a full refund.

I was blown away, and I bought the product I was considering because there was no risk involved.  Because of their return policy, I knew that GNC was confident in their product and so I ultimately became confident in the product too. Ultimately, that was enough to convince me to buy.

Famous USP’s To Study

1. FedEx – “Overnight delivery guaranteed.”
2. AAA – “24 hour roadside assistance.”
3. Ford – “Built Ford Tough.”
4. Walmart – “Always Low Prices.”

Conclusion
Every major, successful, multi-million dollar business in the world has a unique selling proposition.  That is specifically why they are making a lot of money and outselling their competition. They have a strong brand, and that brand makes them unique.  So, I urge you to start thinking about what your unique selling proposition is, and how it ties into your marketing message.

I am talking about computer repair business owners who cannot answer the question “What Do You Do?” It sounds silly, but take a look in your local yellow page book and glance over the computer repair ads. You’ll find a wonderful array of vague, boring ads that list out general facts, offer all kinds of ”off topic” services, and lack any ounce of uniqueness, intrigue, or emotional response.

You see, marketing is the art of motivating people to buy your product or service. To effectively motivate someone, you have to communicate to them in terms that he or she will relate and RESPOND to.  This involves knowing WHO you are taking to and WHAT they actually care about.

Nobody cares how about boring facts about your company. What they care about is specifically what results or benefits they will get if they buy your technology product or service. Period!  To do this, you have to properly plan and craft your marketing message in specific language that will hit home with your targeted prospects.  This is the core concept to all of the marketing I provide in my Computer Repair Business In-A-Box.

The problem that I am seeing, and it’s wasting a countless number of marketing dollars, is that too many computer repair guys are in business for themselves without doing any real work researching their target market, developing a USP, and crafting their marketing message. They ‘fly by the seat of their pants,’ and when someone puts them on the hot seat and asks “what do you do?” they can’t deliver an answer that’s memorable, sparks some interest, and generates word of mouth.

Instead of having a few powerful responses handy, the average computer repair guy is unprepared and begins to spit out boring facts about the services they offer, how long they’ve been in business, and what certifications they have, etc, etc. The problem with this type of answer is it doesn’t answer the question “What’s in it for me?” That’s really all anyone cares about when they ask “What do you do?”

When you resort to using boring facts as the centerpiece to your marketing, you are effectively making your company appear to be no different than your competitors. When you can’t differentiate yourself from your competition, prospects will assume that since your marketing is the same your SERVICES must be the same, and they will lose interest.

This is also how you get shopped on price. If you market your company exactly like your competition, than the only thing different WILL be your price. Your services become simple commodities and you give buyers no other option but to base their buying decision off of the price.

The key to preventing this from happening to your computer repair consulting company is to:

1. Focus your marketing around the results that your services provide.
2. Make a list of 4 or 5 specific benefits your clients can expect to gain after you perform your service.
3. Make a list of 7 or 8 specific aspects about your company that are unique and set you a part from your competition (e.g. – 24/7 service, free support hotline, 2 hour response time, remote desktop service work, etc.)
4. Be specific in your ads and avoid using any vague or clique terminology.

As soon as you start being specific in your ads, avoiding vague/clique terminology, focusing on results, and listing out unique aspects about your company, you will notice that your clients will immediately stop focusing on price. You will also appear to be different and SUPERIOR to your competitors. You will have instant credibility and prospects will view you as competent guru in your field.

So the next time someone asks you “what do you do” make sure you have a good answer.

For a complete ‘paint-by-numbers’ system to developing your marketing message, communicating your services, and closing more clients better and faster with actual marketing campaigns you can use today, consider my Computer Repair Business In-A-Box.