Why Choose You | How to Master Your Unique Value Proposition

The inspiration for today’s blog came from a conversation I had with a prospect over Christmas about Codebreak’s unique value proposition. It was an interesting opportunity from a business based in Sweden. 

I jumped on the call, did my spiel and went through the brochure. Then he said: “You just sound like everyone else. Why should I choose you?”

I never used to sound like everyone else. But people have caught on that being direct and not fluffy is a good way to market an agency. We’ve been doing that for 10 years, but now everyone’s doing it.

Our motto is ‘Stay Hungry’, and he’d also been talking to a company whose motto was ‘Stay Sharp’. To him, there was no difference.

Luckily, I rescued it. It’s not a sales tactic as such, but I never go into a sales conversation trying to sound desperate or like I’m really keen to get the deal. It’s always about making the prospect sell themselves to me.

“You’re not pushy at all”

He noticed that, and he said: “I can see the differentiating factors now. You’re not pushy at all, you’re actually exploratory.”

And that’s today’s topic; why should your prospects choose you over someone else?

If you’re an accountant, solicitor, builder, plumber or other service-based business, a lot of your competitors will use similar phrases, especially if you’re local. USVs like ‘always on time’ aren’t USVs anymore. They don’t tell prospects how you’re actually different.

If you don’t know what your unique value proposition is, write down everything about your business that’s the same as your competitors and everything that’s different. From those differences, use that in all your marketing – organic, ads, everything.

Once you’ve got your USV, how are you going to tell people about it in a way they understand?

Let’s start with your messaging; it needs to suit your clientele, not your own ego. Talk like you understand them, not like they should understand you.

People have been marketed to death

We’ve used this example before, but Dyson used to talk about cyclone technology in their vacuums. It was a very 90s marketing tactic to talk about something that sounds amazing but no one knows what it is.

People have been marketed to death now and it doesn’t work anymore.

You have to explain what the transformation will be; like: “With our vacuum technology, you’ll never worry about crumbs in the carpet again; we guarantee a clean carpet every time.”

Online coaches or personal trainers use before and after pictures to show that transformation, but a small firm of accountants can’t show messy books versus tidy books.

Instead, they can use video testimonials of clients saying: “Before working with you, I never had control over my finances, and after just six weeks, I had all that in hand”. That’s a quick testimonial that helps differentiate.

Another thing to remember is that what’s obvious to you might not be obvious to your prospects.

“It’s actually lactose intolerance”

For example, down the road from me there’s a farm selling milk that’s naturally lactose-free. There’s a clear benefit to that milk, but when you drive past there’s no mention of it.

They rely on local word of mouth, but I think people would be really into it if they realised the difference it makes.

A lot of people are lactose intolerant and don’t know it. They think they’ve always got a cold or are always bloated or have itchy skin, when it’s actually lactose intolerance. And if they realised that and had a solution that was locally-based and organic, they’d go for it.

But this farm doesn’t push it; they just have an honesty box where you can go in, get the milk and leave a few quid. Maybe they’re just doing it for the love, but it feels like a missed opportunity. Their niche should be clearer, and that applies to any business.

If you’re a gym running ads, for example, and you niche in people over the age of 50, your ads should say: “This program is for people over 50 who want to stay mobile.”

“But I can help everyone”

It blows my mind when in the first few lines of an ad, a business fails to mention who it’s for. I often see business owners use their bio to talk about their vision for their own company, when it should be about what they do, who they help, and why.

And you might say: “But I can help everyone.”

I’m sure you can, but your marketing won’t be as effective. You have to be specific with who you’re talking to, and why your value proposition is different from your competitors.

So, let’s wrap it up. How do you stay ahead of your competitors?

Know your message, know your unique value proposition, make sure people understand it, and make sure people know about you. Get some awareness ads and don’t be afraid to tell people what you offer.

Getting your message out there and saying who you are is going to attract people, but it’s also going to repel people, and that’s fine. If you’re scared about repelling people, you’re not going to attract anyone.

You’ll always be stuck chasing a ‘no’ at the end.

Don’t miss the next episode of Stay Hungry – we’ll dive into straight-talking insights on business marketing, growth mindset, and the realities of running a business. And if you want to take the hassle out of your marketing, we’ve got you covered with our done-for-you service.