If a customer came up to you today and asked “Why should I choose you over your competitor(s)?” would you be able to give them a definitive answer or will you scramble to explain why the value your company offers is better than the rest?

It’s a golden rule in marketing to include clear differentiators and competitive advantages that set your brand apart from the rest of the competition. But before we get into discussing Unique Value Propositions and brand promises, you should really know this: Your business comes before your brand and UVP, not the other way around. In other words you should already know what your business does best.

Once you have established what your business specializes in it’s time to start thinking about a UVP. A unique value proposition is a short statement that clearly communicates the value you bring to your customers while differentiating yourself from the competition. This statement should simplify the complexity of your sales pitch into something that is easily grasped and remembered by your current and potential clients.

When crafting these statements you should keep these three things in mind:

Keep it clear and concise
The whole point of the UVP is to be able to quickly describe your business and what it has to offer. If you can’t say it in less than twenty seconds it’s too long and be careful not to use industry specific jargon that may confuse your audience.

Be specific
Although a UVP is a generic statement about your business, be specific in the points you are trying to get across. Avoid generalizations such as “great customer service” that could be said about any reputable company and instead focus on the specific elements of the way you do business.

Focus on your customers
Understanding your customer’s wants, needs, desires and problems is crucial in the UVP development process. The client needs to understand what benefits they will receive from your offering and how you’re able to solve their problems. By doing so you will be able to effectively build value into your offering that differentiates you from the competition.

Now that you have the recipe to constructing an effective UVP, click here to read Kevin’s blog post on how the UVP is used in organizations and how it can be misunderstood sometimes.