It sounds easy enough, but most businesses only advertise features of products or services. They don’t tell customers how they willbenefit from using the product or service.

To develop successful marketing efforts, you must know what motivates your customers to do business with you.

So, the first step in advertising the uniqueness of your product is determining who your customers are. You may have a mix of customers, but remember that 80 percent of your business comes from 20 percent of your customers. Identify that 20 percent.

For example, most fast food restaurant owners would say their customers come from all demographics. They serve everyone from single mothers too tired to cook dinner, to business men looking for a fast lunch. But, the bulk of their business comes from men between the ages of 18 and 34. These customers buy the large combo meals and buy lots of them; therefore, fast food restaurants need to keep them in mind when developing their marketing and advertising strategies.

Don’t stop with just an idea of your best customer’s age and sex. To develop successful marketing efforts, you must know what motivates your customers to do business with you. You should know what they do for a living, what they like to do in their free time, how they feel about your product and life in general. If you don’t know where their heart is, it doesn’t matter where theirbrain is. Speak with your customers on a regular basis to learn what motivates them.

Once you understand your product, your customer and your competition, you can determine how to effectively market your company.

In order to know what sets your company apart, you also must know your competition. Visit their stores to see how they do business, and learn their weak points.

Once you understand your product, your customer and your competition, you can determine how to effectively market your company. The first step in this process is determining the benefits your company provides.

Play the “so what” game with your own product. Put yourself into the position of your best customer and consider the features of your product or service. Make a chart listing those features in the first column. Ask yourself “So, what does that feature mean for customers?” Put your answer in the secondcolumn, and ask a second question: “Why should my customer care about this?” By the third column, you should have a selling proposition identified.

For example, say a feature of your company is that it has been in business for 50 years. Before you start advertising that feature, ask “so what.” Your answer may be that your company has gained a lot of experience in the past 50 years. Again, ask “so what.” This time your answer is that 50 years of experience means your company works quickly with few mistakes. That’s your selling proposition. If it’s unique — something no one else does — it’s your unique selling proposition, and it should be used as the basis for all of your advertising messages.

Remember, though, that your USP is just a starting point. Once you have defined it, you now must tell your company’s story in a way that captures the mind and heart of your customers. Think about what really matters to your best customers and write your message as though you were speaking with them. If the message speaks straight to them, they will start listening.

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