Your Business’s Foundation Rests on This Statement

The wise man built his house upon a rock while the foolish man built his house upon the sand. The foundation of your business is anchored in how you communicate your purpose and benefit to your customers. Most businesses like to say “WHAT” they do. We sell X or we help you Y. Your communication will always fall short until you figure out your WHO and your WHO’s WHY. From that WHY you can then develop a WHY statement that clearly defines WHY someone should pay attention to what you are doing. Then you will build every other message off of that anchor point.

Running ads telling people WHAT you do falls short of moving your audience with creativity that demonstrates WHY you are the answer to your audience's problems. WHY are you the answer that they should choose? 

When you know this statement, then you can focus on creating content, marketing, and other communication that speaks directly to your audience and motivates them to do business with you. We need to make sure that your WHY statement is uniquely yours and that it encompasses this unique identifying differentiation that makes your customers choose and love you. So let's break it down. 

Buying ads is only half of the marketing solution. The second half is the creativity to come up with messaging that generates a response. That messaging should be a version of your WHY statement. It is the only way to get good responses from your audience. 

Here are some examples of how to create a great USP or WHY statement:

Strong vs. Weak USP Examples

Weak: "We provide high-quality service."

This is so overused and cliche that any of your competitors could say it. So think deeply about how you can speak to your unique selling points. How about something like this: 

Strong: "Our 24-hour turnaround on customer inquiries ensures you're never left waiting."

The best companies have unique pain points that they solve for customers. If yours is a quick turnaround then this could be your USP. 

Specificity in Solving Problems

Question: "Can you provide a specific example of how your product/service solved a unique problem for a customer?"

Example Response: "A local restaurant struggled with slow service times during peak hours, impacting customer satisfaction. Our customized point-of-sale system streamlined their operations, cutting service times by 30% and boosting customer feedback ratings."

Differentiation Focus

Question: "What can you offer that no one else in your market can?"

Example Response: "We offer an exclusive, patented water filtration system that guarantees purity levels 50% higher than industry standards, validated by independent laboratory testing."

Feedback Mechanism

Gather feedback from at least five customers on the clarity and appeal of your USP. What did they find most compelling? What were their concerns?"

Example Feedback: "Customers appreciated the emphasis on quick resolution times but suggested highlighting our free, comprehensive training sessions, which they also loved."

Emphasizing Benefits Over Features

Question: "List the top three benefits your customers experience from your service/product, distinctly separate from its features."

Example Response:

Time Savings: Customers save an average of four hours weekly thanks to our automated scheduling tool.

Cost Reduction: Our analytics software helps businesses reduce marketing costs by up to 20% through more targeted campaigns.

Stress Relief: Our wellness programs have been shown to decrease employee stress levels by 30%, improving the overall workplace atmosphere.

As I said at the beginning, when you have a powerful WHY statement, or USP, you will have a foundation on which to build all of your marketing, brand messaging, and client communication. This statement should not just say something to your customers, it should become your guide for making decisions about your marketing. Everything should align. 

If you already have a WHY statement, we would love to hear it. If you are struggling, check out the tools here to help you, or reach out and we can help you.