This document provides guidance on developing a unique selling proposition (USP) or extra value proposition (EVP) for a business. It recommends conducting focus groups with staff, customer surveys, and competitor analyses to understand strengths and weaknesses. Key aspects to consider for the USP include being concise, quantifying benefits, and filling a void competitors do not. The USP should then be integrated into all marketing materials and sales presentations. Developing a clear USP lays the foundation for effective marketing strategy.

1. Big Bang
Marketing System
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

2. STEP #1
Develop Your USP/EVP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

3. Definitions:



(USP) Unique Selling Position, (EVP)
Extra Value Proposition
What makes your business DIFFERENT,
UNIQUE, STAND OUT?
Why should people do business with you,
instead of your competition?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

4. Developing USP/EVP



How do you want to be perceived by the
public?
USP/EVP must be a true reflection of the
experience customers have with your
company
Cannot be all talk and no substance
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

5. Developing USP/EVP



If your USP does not match the customers
experience, they will probably not return
Examples: Wal-Mart – low prices
Fed-Ex – overnight delivery
Volvo - safety
USP/EVP should be the cornerstone of all
your marketing/advertising activities
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

6. Assignment #1
Write Down The Reasons
You Got Into Your Business
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

7. Assignment #2
Answer These
Two Questions
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

8. You Must Answer
These Two Questions

#1. Why do people buy from you?

#2. If they aren’t buying from you now,
why should they?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

9. You need A
Competitive
Long-term
Advantage

Find a way to stand out amongst your
competitors

It’s challenging in today’s highly
competitive marketplace
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

10. You need A
Competitive
Long-term
Advantage

If you don’t have an obvious USP, create
a unique value (EVP)- something extra
that your competitors are not offering,
something that gives people extra value
and reasons to buy from you

Without a USP, price tends to be the
deciding factor
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

11. USP Can Take Form In
Four Ways



#1. Price leader – you are known in the
public’s mind as having the lowest price
#2. Differentiate – do something more or
better, unique than competitors
#3. Focus on a certain niche – sell to a
small segment of the market and
become the price leader or differentiate
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

12. USP Can Take Form In
Four Ways



#4. Extra Value Proposition – provide
more value, more quality, more services
than your competitors
a. Advice and assistance
b. Highest quality
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

13. USP Can Take Form In
Four Ways



c . Longer service warranty
d. Location, convenience, delivery
e. Speedy service
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

14. Assignment #3
Which of the four areas do you
see your company’s strength or
uniqueness?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

15. 7 Key Characteristics of An
Effective USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

16. 7 Characteristics of USP



#1. Be able to state it in 90 words or less –
answer the question why should people do
business with you
#2. Quantify the benefit as much as possible –
“pizza in 30 minutes or less or it’s free”
#3. Be specific In the areas of quality, service,
selection, guarantee – if your lunch is not
delivered in 10 minutes… it’s free!
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

17. 7 Characteristics of USP



#4. Fill a void the competition is not filling (i.e.)
Lens Crafters eye glasses and contacts ready
in about 1 hour
#5. It must be a value that matters to your
customers and prospects
#6. It evolves – based on what your
competition does, does not have to be
permanent
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

18. 7 Characteristics of USP

#7. You must be able to execute your
USP – no empty promises

Think of 3 places you shop frequently
and why
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

19. Assignment #4
Complete The Following
Sentence
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

20. The Power Of Only



My company is the only company
that………..
Think about your customers wants and
needs and what your competitors are not
doing.
Create your own, unless you already have
one
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

21. The Power Of Only



USP not only determines who you are, or
who you have been, but also helps you
decide who you want to be in your industry
What can you do that your competitors
can’t or won’t?
What do your customers and prospects
want that they may not know they want?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

22. The Power Of Only



Research your competition to see what
they are offering
What can you do that they do not?
What can you do right now to fill a void in
the marketplace or offer that no one else
in your industry is offering?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

23. Assignment #5
Make a list of
products/services that you
could offer that your
competitors don’t.
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

24. Ineffective USPs

“we have the best service, we have the
best quality, we have the best price, we
have the best employees”

If you say you have the best service
quality or employees, what makes you the
best … describe it in detail. Must quantify
your statement
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

25. Conduct External/Internal
Research


Talk to your employees and customers to
find out what they see as your advantage
or uniqueness – why do they do business
with you?
If you have customers doing business
elsewhere at other times.. Why? Can your
company fill that need?
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

26. Conduct External/Internal
Research



When talking to customers probe them for
details and specifics (i.e.) What is it about
our service that you really like? Why do
think we have the best quality?
Combining the answers from your
employees and customers will give you
ideas for your USP
WARNING: Don’t try to be “all things to all
Kevin Toney –the
people.”
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

27. Executing Your USP



Make sure you can actually do it
Don’t over promise and under deliver
All employees must be informed and
buy into your USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

28. Ok to Have Multiple
USPs


Based on your research you may find that
you have more than one USP
Different USP for different parts of your
business
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

29. Assignment #6
Make a list of services or
products most desired by your
clients. Put a start beside the
ones you can fulfill.
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

30. Four Steps And Tools To
Determine And Uncover
Your USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

31. Four Steps To
Uncover Your USP




#1. Focus group session with owner and
staff
#2. Phone calls/questionnaire to current
customers (survey)
#3. Analyze the competition – create a
matrix
#4. Write up the USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

32. Focus Group STEP #1

Focus Group With Staff

Educate staff about the concept and
importance of a powerful USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

33. Focus Group STEP #1

Get their feedback on what they think your
USP is

Begin by asking “ Why do you think people
do business with you?”
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

34. Assignment #7
Hold Your Staff Meeting
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

35. Customer Survey STEP #2

Survey your top 20% of customers to find
out why they do business with you

Tell them you are doing a brief customer
survey and not selling anything
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

36. Customer Survey STEP #2

Determine if your staff’s perception of why
people do business with you is the same
or different

Talk to past clients too, to find out why
they stopped doing business with you
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

37. Customer Survey STEP #2

Write down 5-6 questions that you are
going to ask to get an incite into why
people do business with you

Include at least one question on what
more they would want from you if they
could get it
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

38. Customer Survey STEP #2

Determine who will contact the customers
and how (phone, mail, email, in-person)

Develop a list of customers to contact
(past and present customers)

Conduct your survey
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

39. Assignment #8
Conduct Your
Customer Survey
(supply questions)
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

40. Analyze Competition STEP
#3



Find out if the USP you are formulating is
really unique and different
Shop their business, in person or on
phone
Read their advertising & marketing
materials (website, brochures etc.)
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

41. Analyze Competition STEP
#3


Talk to their employees
Talk to their customers
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

42. Assignment #9
Conduct Your
Competitors Survey
(Top 2-5 Competitors)
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

43. Write up your USP STEP
#4



Write it up in a way that it can be used in
all your marketing efforts
Try to keep it to 90 words or less
It should form the foundation of all your
ads, brochures, website, sales letter
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

44. Write up your USP STEP
#4

Should give you a firm direction to go with
all your marketing efforts

Use it in headlines and sub-headlines
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

45. Write up your USP STEP
#4

Should be the center of sales
presentations

Will take some time to develop, but keep
working at it

Hand out 3 examples of USP
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

46. Integrate Your USP In To
All Areas of Your Business
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)

47. Get a Free Marketing
Analysis
Over the phone or in person
Call 1-800-7964960
No sales pitch, just effective
marketing advice
www.FreeMarketingHelp.ca
Kevin Toney –the
Marketing Coach (Big
Bang Marketing System)