The First Biggest Mistake made by Contractors is they don’t have a USP.

USP is short for Unique Selling Proposition (or Unique Selling Point, or it is the same as a Unique Perceived Benefit).

Very quickly, a USP is a marketing concept that takes into account the fact that there are many contractors providing the same service as you (or there are many product suppliers making the same product, for example, car manufacturers). So by having a USP you are communicating to your customers and prospects why you are better than the rest.

Basically, your USP should answer your prospects’ question:

Why should I do business with You instead of your competitors?

Your USP will tell your prospects and customers:

  1. why You are Special
  2. why You can provide Better Value than your competitors
  3. what Your Point Of Difference is

Have you noticed in the Yellow Pages how bland and uninteresting all the adverts are? They just don’t exhibit any points of difference. Go to the plumbers section in the Yellow Pages and see what I mean…they are all the same…so how do you pick a good plumber? Now you get my point!

With a good USP you can stand out from the crowd!

Here are some great examples of USPs created by different manufacturers (for Products & Goods):

  • Head & Sholders – “You Get Rid Of Dandruff”
  • Olay – “You Get Younger Looking Skin”
  • Wonder Bread – “Wonder Bread Helps Build Strong Bodies 12 Ways”
  • M&Ms – “The milk chocolate melts in your mouth, not in your hand”

And here are some great examples of USPs created by different service providers (for Services):

  • FedEx – “When your package absolutely, positively has to get there overnight”
  • Dominos Pizza – “You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less – or it’s free”
  • Lawn Green – “Greener Weed Free Lawns – Forever”

So what’s Your Point Of Difference? What makes You stand out in the crowd?

Let’s kick some ideas around. Here are some USPs to consider:

  1. Your Lawnmowing business may only service the local area, so your USP might be…”Your Local Mowing”
  2. Your USP could be as follows…”ABC Lawnmowing mows and trims Your Lawns 26 times per year from only $130 per month – your lawn is guaranteed to never get longer than 35mm!!”
  3. Another USP could be “We turn your tired old garden into paradise” – and all you do is Garden Makeovers…”The Garden Makeover Specialist”
  4. You have to start thinking about what customers want – talk to people about bad experiences they have with contractors…another USP might say “we guarantee to quote on your garden makeover within 24 hours”
  5. OK I think I have given a bit…let me know what you think!

Finally, it is important to remember that the Bold Statement you make about your business should be difficult for others to imitate, and you should repeat it throughout your business – that is, keep mentioning Your USP in your business cards, flyers, invoices etc.

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