How do you grab customer attention and stand out from competitors?
With Your Unique Value Proposition
Your UVP describes your unique product or services, how they solve customers’ problems, and what differentiates you from other providers.
Your Unique Value Proposition is Your Superpower
A few years ago, I was working with a large web design agency. One of the questions the agency team would always ask a prospect during a discovery session was, “What’s your superpower?”
While this may sound like an odd question, it’s a very strategic method of helping the potential client define and pin down what unique value they offer and what sets them apart from the rest. Read on to learn more about a UVP, and how to write one that resonates.
What is a Unique Value Proposition?
A Unique Value Proposition, or UVP, is a clear statement that explains how your product or service solves customers’ problems (aka pain points), improves their situation, delivers specific benefits, and tells your ideal customer why they should buy from you and not from the competition.
How to Write an Effective UVP in 5 Simple Steps
Writing a strong UVP can be tricky, but it’s worth the effort. When done well, it can help you attract more customers and stand out from the competition. These 5 simple steps will guide you in creating a UVP that will resonate with your target audience, immediately convey the benefits (solutions) you offer, and distinguish you from other businesses.
1. Define your target audience
The first step in writing a Unique Value Proposition is to define your target audience or niche customer. Who are you trying to reach with your product or service? What needs or pain points do they have that you can address? Who or what type of customer would be most likely to purchase from you, as opposed to the proverbial “tire kickers”? Once you have a good understanding of your target audience, you will be on your way to crafting a value proposition that resonates with ideal clients.
2. Identify your unique products or services
Now that you’ve fine-tuned your target audience, it’s time to identify what you specifically provide to serve their specific needs.
To do this, it’s helpful to reflect on your niche audience and their pain points, and what unique benefits you offer to improve or resolve their situations.
3. Pin down your selling points versus the competition
What makes your business different from your competitors? Do you offer something they cannot or don’t? How do your products or services fulfill the needs or pain points the competition doesn’t? What makes you more convenient, affordable, useful, or accessible for customers? This will provide a clear understanding of what makes sets you apart from rival businesses.
4. Write a clear and concise statement
Once you have identified your target and niche audience, what specific products and services solve their pain points, and how you provide more value or benefits versus your competitors, it’s time to write a clear and concise UVP statement that articulates and summarizes it.
Your UVP statement should be short, sweet, and to the point, easy for your target audience to understand, and leave no doubt in their mind as to what your product or service can do for them.
A simple formula for crafting your UVP
Here is a simple formula for writing and creating an effective UVP:
We are a [brief description of your business] who help [your niche customers] with [their pain points]. Unlike our competitors, [comparing competitors to your unique selling points].
This formula can easily be massaged or “seasoned to taste” to specifically suit you. And depending upon your niche and/or service industry, you may opt to omit the direct comparison to your customers and simply let the UVP speak for itself.
Examples of UVPs using the formula
Fat Cat Design’s UVP might be:
Fat Cat Design eliminates the headache and hassle of promoting your business by providing design and marketing services that you may not enjoy or have time to perform. This makes your professional life easier and allows you to focus on growing your company and customer base.
Or even more simplified:
We design & create stuff to make your life easier so you can focus on your business.
Note that Fat Cat Design has opted to omit the direct competitor comparison, and let the UVP stand on its merit.
Another example is illustrated by one of Fat Cat Design’s clients who is a licensed therapist:
I’m a licensed therapist who won’t ask you “How do you feel about that?”
Instead, I provide solution-focused treatments rather than the conventional process-focused methodology, meaning we can arrive at a resolution more expediently.
Tip: Use strong language
When crafting your Unique Value Proposition, it’s important to use strong language that packs a punch.
Avoid weak or passive words like “good” or “nice”. Instead, opt for words like “amazing,” “powerful,” or “transformative”. The stronger the language, the more impactful your value proposition.
5. Put it all together and revise as needed
Now it’s time to put everything together and revise as needed until you’re happy with the final result. Full disclosure, Fat Cat Design has several working versions of its UVP and revises each version often.
And don’t be afraid to test out different versions until you find one that works. Try soliciting feedback for each variation from trusted colleagues and clients to gather insight into what speaks to them best. Sometimes we are often tied very closely to our own brand and cannot see the forest for the trees, so it’s useful to get an end-user’s perspective.
Wrapping Up
An effective Unique Value Proposition serves as a crucial element of your marketing strategy and business success, so it’s necessary to expend the time and effort to get it just right.
Get a Free Review of Your UVP
If you find yourself struggling with writing an effective UVP, contact Fat Cat Design for a free 30-minute evaluation or consultation.
Free UVP Review
