Now that the newness of the New Year has worn off, and some are succeeding at New Year’s resolutions, it is time to review and ensure our focus is on 2015 business goals and direction. I have written in years past on goal setting, objective definition, and developing an annual plan. I have to admit, I don’t always follow through on my annual plans; but, I have no one to blame but myself.
Today, I write about what is referred to in The Ultimate Marketing Plan (by Dan Kennedy) as the foundational marketing message. If you already have a USP, or Unique Selling Proposition, you have been through a process similar to this.
First, what is a USP? A Unique Selling Proposition is something that sets you apart from the competition in your market. Are you faster, cheaper, higher quality, more hands on than your competition?
Start by grabbing a stack of index cards or, if you are like me, open a spreadsheet. On each card or line, list a single idea, benefit, promise, or feature of your business.
Take it to the next level, research your competitors and single out their ideas, benefits, promises, and features that they communicate in various media. Make a note of which competitor in the next column of the spreadsheet, or at the bottom of the index card.
Now the fun part, prioritize the ideas based on your offerings, philosophy, and principles. In the spreadsheet, you can insert a column ahead of the component list and start putting 1’s, 2’s, 3’s, etc. Then sort the list by that column to group the ideas. If using index cards, simply make stacks, prioritizing the components.
From these components, you can easily assemble a Unique Selling Proposition or foundation marketing message that is broadcast through all your campaigns. This foundational message is your “magnificent mission”!
To learn more about this process and building your foundational marketing message, consider getting a copy of Dan Kennedy’s book, The Ultimate Marketing Plan.
Think About This: What can you guarantee your customers will receive, feel, or perceive?
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