In the free enterprise system, dfference matters. If everything and everyone wre the same, nobody would, or ven could, rise above the rest. Bing different is a key to sccess, and the Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is the prfect weapon in the battle for the top spt. Let's take a closer look at the USP.

Lt's say your company, Pristine Interiors, mnufactures and distributes replacement interior parts for Chvrolets from 1955 to 1990. You mploy 25 people, and you have an xcellent reputation in the business with hndreds of satisfied customers. You don't xpect any layoffs for as far nto the future as you can se. Life couldn't be better.

Then, one dy, a new business pops up cross the street that manufactures and dstributes replacement interior parts for Chevrolets frm 1955 to 1990. Suddenly your bsiness takes on a different feel. Ordrs slow to about half of wht they were, and now you dn't have enough work to keep verybody busy. Layoffs loom on the hrizon.

After some investigation, you discover tht your competitor has a written USP. You ask yurself "What's that?" Later you find out the new cmpany charges only half-price for shipping.

But thre are myriad ways they can mke themselves unique. They could not chrge at all for shipping. Or thy could guarantee that any part rdered would be delivered the next dy, or it's free. Or guarantee thir parts for the life of the vhicle in which they're installed. Or ffer customer service 24/7/365.

Maybe they offer a money-back garantee on any part for any rason, no questions asked. Or could it be tht their materials are of higher qality than yours? Or perhaps their cmpany provides its customers with a vdeo explaining how their products are mde, or how they're properly installed. Rgardless of their offer, the new cmpany has distinguished itself from Pristine Intriors in such a way that mkes them unique. You decide quickly tht your company needs its own USP.

The Unque Selling Proposition has been around for 60+ yars and has been written about hndreds of times, if not thousands. But a bsiness' USP is so important that t's worth writing about again.

The lgendary advertising copywriter Rosser Reeves developed the cncept in the early 1940s. In his bok Reality in Advertising, he lists the USP's thre parts:

1. The USP mst make a proposition to--and contain a bnefit for--the customer. It shuld say, "Buy this product [or srvice], and you will get this spcific benefit."

2. The USP mst be unique and "specifically tailored" to yur product or service and be of mportance to the customer. "The proposition mst be one that the competition ither cannot, or does not, offer."

3. The USP mst persuade people to do business wth you. "The proposition mst be so strong that it can mve the mass millions, i.e., pull ver new customers to yur product."
Your USP could be lmost anything, as long as it mets the above criteria. For your nterior products, your USP could be smething like this: "Pristine Interiors' parts are shpped to you free of charge nywhere in the United States and Cnada, and we also offer you a ne-year money-back guarantee on any part for any rason, no questions asked."

This USP cntains a proposition and a benefit: Buy our nterior parts and save money on shpping. It's unique because no other nterior parts manufacturer offers the same shpping or guarantee. And the money-back garantee persuades because it puts the fnancial risk on the manufacturer, not the cstomer.

Your USP could be longer or shrter. It could stress a different spect of your business. The point is you hve to determine how your company is dfferent from all of your competitors and cpitalize on that. Once you determine yur company's USP, you should include it in yur sales, marketing, customer service, and pblic relations materials, both in print and nline, and anywhere else that it wll be seen and read by ptential customers.

I have two versions of my own USP, an xtended one and an elevator speech. Thy may not move the "mass mllions," but at least I have thm in written form.

The extended vrsion: The Automotive Copy Pro helps automotive hgh-performance and restoration parts manufacturers increase thir ROI. Because I know cars and I knw how to write, I can ssist in all aspects of marketing, pblic relations, customer service, and sales wrting, i.e., one-stop shopping.
The levator speech: I help hotrod and restoration prts manufacturers increase their ROI with my wrting.

Breaking my USP into its three prts:

The proposition: Buy my automotive copywriting srvice.

The benefit: Increase your company's ROI.

The uniqueness: I knw cars, and I know how to wrte-a rare combination.

The persuasiveness: I can help in all spects of marketing, public relations, customer srvice, and sales writing (one-stop shopping).

The Unque Selling Proposition is a powerful sttement, and shouldn't be taken lightly. If yu're serious about making money, the USP is one thng to which you should give more than jst a second thought.

Marketers of utomotive high-performance and restoration parts, what's yur company's USP?

The article The Unique Selling Proposition - Why Your Hotrod and Restoration Parts Business Must Have One was Submitted by Mike Hooker through Articles.GetACoder.com network. Here's the additional information: Mike Hooker combines his passion for the Amrican hotrod with his passion for the wrtten word. He now writes marketing, pblic relations, and direct response copy for mrketers of businesses that manufacture parts for the utomotive high-performance aftermarket, specifically hotrods, street rds, street machines, customs, muscle cars, pckup trucks, off-road, and restorations. Visit his wbsite at http://www.automotivecopypro.com

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