How to stand out from the competition: find your USP
How can you stand out from the competition if it seems like you’re just like everyone else? Let’s start with an honest admission: it’s impossible to find a unique selling proposition without making comparisons. That’s why it all starts with analysis, according to the experts at Betonlogos Marketing.
And the problem facing businesses today isn’t that it’s impossible to come up with a USP. The problem is that most people are still looking for it in the product itself, rather than in perception, characteristics and meaning. Similar photos, the same ‘10% off today’ offers, fast delivery, returns — all this creates a sense of ‘sameness’. Even the text on websites and videos on TikTok seem to have been generated by the same neural network.
A USP, or Unique Selling Point, is not just a phrase. It is a promise of a specific result and proof of why you are able to deliver it better or differently. Thousands of articles written on this topic boil down to two questions. Question 1: ‘What do your customers praise you for?’ Question 2: ‘What do customers criticise your competitors for?’ You need to answer these questions starting today.
How do you interact with customers? How easy is it to place an order or resolve issues? Experts at Betonlogos point out that it is important not just to understand what you do well, but to understand what the customer values right now. Your customer service process can become part of your USP if it genuinely creates a positive experience. Sometimes, the customer service process itself becomes part of the USP.
Some time ago, Ford conducted a survey of its corporate clients and found that the reason they buy Ford cars was not reliability or engine performance (as expected), but the efficiency of the accounts department!
Look at your business through the eyes of the customer
USP: It’s not the product, but the perception
Whereas a unique selling proposition used to be built around a feature (‘we offer 24-hour delivery’), it is now built around experience and emotion.
For example, two companies are selling identical wireless headphones.
- Advert No. 1: ‘Wireless noise-cancelling headphones’
- Advert No. 2: ‘The silence in which ideas are born’
Which one will the buyer choose? According to statistics, they will buy from the one selling a feeling. Sometimes this choice is intuitive and not even rational. But it works!
Zappos has a fairly simple USP: the best returns policy, which takes away the fear of buying shoes online that might not fit. Customers can order several pairs of shoes and return those that don’t fit or they don’t like. As many online shops compete on price, this offer once set Zappos apart from the crowd.
What do your customers praise you for?
Experts at Betonlogos recommend that you keep a close eye on customer feedback. Don’t focus on ‘ratings’, but on the wording. If customers are open to dialogue, it means that it’s not just the purchase that matters to them. If they return not for a discount, but to chat with your manager - you’ve already built an emotional USP. Your product may be standard, but if predictability and good communication are important to the buyer, they will choose whoever can provide them. Very often, it is precisely the predictability and familiarity of the service that become a dropshipper’s USP. Today, value may lie in convenience; tomorrow, in care; the day after tomorrow, in speed.
What do customers criticise their competitors for?
Chaos, unpredictability and unmet expectations – these are the main complaints from customers. Deadlines have been pushed back, customer support is unresponsive, and the discount turned out to be a trap. It is against this backdrop of frustration that those who remain calm and honest come out on top. You can build your USP around order: honest deadlines, transparent logistics, and proper communication without bots or scripts.
Don’t be afraid to shift your focus, test ideas and reassess your strengths. The main thing is that your promise remains true, emphasise the managers at Betonlogos Czech Republic. A true USP isn’t what you say about yourself, but what customers say about you.
Betonlogos: when a USP becomes a system
A USP is not just a single phrase or slogan, but a description of the most important characteristics: quality, price, volume, storage conditions and payment methods. It is a combination of characteristics, service, emotions, process speed and delivery speed. Betonlogos s.r.o. helps businesses identify this very uniqueness. We find reliable suppliers, optimise e-commerce processes and translate a business’s strengths into measurable results.
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