“How To Make Your Store The Only Choice In The Customer’’s Mind”

A couple of issues ago, I mentioned having a Unique Buying Advantage. Some marketing Gurus call it a USP or Unique Selling Proposition.

It is the “Claim to Fame” that you have, that your competition doesn’t have...and won’t offer. This UBA (Unique Buying Advantage) must be something that is in demand for it to be effective. If you claim that “We sell vacuum cleaner belts that are bright red...and nobody else does” that may make you unique, but nobody will care.

Here are several ideas to help you create your own Unique Buying Advantage.

Your Business Name

The name of your business should tell consumers what you sell. Ideally your business name should tell what your UBA is too.

The “Same Day Diaper Cleaning Service” tells the buyer what you do, and your competitive advantage.

Competitive Advantage

You can build your UBA against a competitor. If you have a huge competitor down the street, you can advertise “Why pay for Goliath store overhead?.... Why spend your day waiting in lines? Come in for fast personal service and low prices”

If you’re the big store and a new store has the nerve to move into your area, you can advertise “Come in for the largest selection. And we’ll be here when you need service”

Personally, I would never mention a competitor by name. Why pay for their advertising?

Exclusivity

If you can’t market to a niche that is exclusive to you, you can create a niche to dominate.

If you sell lawn equipment you can advertise

“Only for the do-it-yourselfer”. Sounds like a niche doesn’t it?

Do you know any man who doesn’t think he’s a do-it-yourselfer? Not me.

“Only Read This If You Have Allergies” is a headline that grabs the attention of half of the population. Most people are allergic to something.

Affinity

Do you have a hobby? Do you volunteer for anything? You can craft a mail piece & mail it only to people in any hobby niche (there is a magazine or weekly meeting for just about any niche) get the names from any mailing list broker or membership list, and mail out “The vacuum cleaner just for condominium owners” offer. This techniques will triple your response.

Hidden Benefit

What’s the hidden benefit of a new lawn mower? You get to parade it out in front of your neighbors. Your lawn will look better than the guy down the street’s lawn.

Method Of Distribution

Do you “pick up & deliver”? Will you mail your product to your customer? Can they order online from you?

Packaging

When I was selling vacuum cleaners in prospect’s homes, the vacuum cleaner company had a meeting to see how they could increase sales. The machine we sold came in 2 large boxes that we carried into the home. I said “If you want to increase the price we can charge, put the same stuff in 3 boxes instead of two. It will look like more.” I also suggested the put “Made In The USA” on the boxes. A couple dollars in added cost would increase the value by much more. The vacuum cleaner had a 7 foot hose. I said “Make the hose 12 or 15 feet long. It will be unique and a tremendous value builder” They went to 9 feet because the distributors didn’t want to pay the $6 additional cost,. Funny. This also includes the idea of Size. Selling the biggest of something gets you noticed.

Bundle

You can be the store that puts together the “allergy relief package” or the “pet odor package”” or the “Make your neighbor green with envy package. This is one I do all the time.

Expertise

Are you certified? Did you get an award for service excellence? Have you written a article that has been in the local paper? (not a hard thing to do at all)

Unique value added

Do you have an instructional DVD that you include with your product? Could you make one? A CD takes less than an hour to record and 60 cents to reproduce in quantity. If the other guy doesn’t have a CD and you do...put it in the ad “Exclusive CD to make assembly a minor inconvenience instead of a day long chore”.

Membership

Do you have a membership card that gives your preferred customers an added discount, front of the line repairs, or advance notice of Sales? There are companies that will supply these or you can get them printed yourself. This is something that I haven’t done but should.

Financing Or Extended Terms

Are you the only store (in your category) that offers financing? Or 1 year same as cash?

Advertising it is smart & will boost response.

Price

Are you the cheapest? Are you the most expensive? (I don’t mean sell the same thing for more, I mean sell the most expensive stuff)

Advertise “we have the finest___ so you can enjoy the best value”.

Guarantee

Do you offer a free 90 day trial? A 90 day money back guarantee? If it’s unique, it’s good.

Celebrity Spokesperson

Do you have a local celebrity? If they will lend their name to your offer or business, it will separate you from every other business that doesn’t have that celebrity as a spokesperson. You would be amazed at how inexpensive this is. A TV star from a TV series 10 years ago, still has name recognition, but you can get then for a day for a few thousand dollars. There are even directories that list celebrities. Never call their agent, write them directly. If you offer a few thousand dollars, the agent won’t tell the celebrity. If you write them directly, you’d be surprised at who will say “Yes”. Most actors make less that you.

Freebie Even If They Return The Main Item

This dramatically increases sales...and returns. But the net sales are more. Offer a gift with purchase that they can keep even if they return the main product. The gift must be something the want anyway, not something you offer just because you can get it cheap.

Two Themes with creating your UBA;

You can have many UBAs. You can advertise one to each unique market niche, or offer them all in every ad. I usually run to ads. One has a specific single product that they can buy and I include 2 or 3 UBAs...and I have an ad that has most of them and the ad includes a complete line of product.

The idea of Polarizing your readership.

You don’t have to be everything to everyone. By making your offers look like you are excluding people out of the reader’s niche, you increase the value to someone in that niche.

“For People With Allergies Only”” will cause the eyes (of allergy sufferers) to focus on your ad. They will read the ad with great interest.

If you make your offer too general, you’’ll have lots of people almost read your ad. Not good. You want people to be either very interested or not at all. If they are not interested, it doesn’t matter how much they aren’t interested.

If they are interested, it matters a lot how much they are interested. This is where your customers come from.