In a recent “Marketing Minute” segment on Trish Lambert’s Internet radio show, Real People, Really Leading, Trish talked about the challenges of maintaining a USP (unique selling proposition) in a world of basic sameness.
She is so right on. In today’s highly commoditized world, you can stand out with the latest, greatest new product or service … for a while anyway, until someone else comes along with something better.
Putting the “People” in USP
It’s an organization’s people who make the brand’s USP really unique. Competitors can match your product, price, promotion, even place … but the one thing competitors absolutely cannot copy is the relationship your people have with your customers.
That’s the real point of differentiation.
Maybe we ought to change USP to stand for:
- Unique & Stellar People, or
- Uniquely Superb People, or
- Uniquely Successful People … you get the idea.
Considering the quality of your people, would your competitors be able to stand up to your USP?
Note: You can hear Trish’s “Marketing Minute” on her radio show broadcast on Thursday afternoons (5 PM EST/2 PM PST) or listen to the archived shows found in the Content Library section. And if you want to hear my interview on internal marketing (Marketing from the Inside Out), scroll down the content library for the March 16, 2006 show.