by Paul Simister
on June 18, 2015
The full title of this book by Jennifer S Cosculluela is
Find Your Own Unique Selling Proposition: Getting Ahead With USP
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave the book Two Stars.
Here is my review.
Disappointing presentation and content
My first impressions weren’t good. I hadn’t expected this to be so small, it’s little more than a pamphlet. To add insult to injury, the contents are in a very small, sans serif font which makes it quite difficult to read, despite the double spacing between lines. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on June 18, 2015
In my review of the ebook
USP: How to Construct a Winning Unique Selling Proposition by Michael Senoff
posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 2 Stars.
Here is my review.
Transcripts of various telephone conversations
This is a bit odd. It is the transcript from several telephone conversations between an American consultant, Michael and Nick, the owner of a medium sized website hosting company with about 5,000 clients. It is also quite old which you may find off-putting if you’re an up-to-date techie. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 18, 2015
The full title of this book by Alexander Osterwalder et al is
Value Proposition Design: How to Create Products and Services Customers Want
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.
Here is my review.
It might make your head hurt…
This is a very stylish book, starting with the front and back covers which show the effects of good and bad value proposition designs respectively. It also includes access to online templates and exercises.
It is a follow-up to their earlier book Business Model Generation.
Does the style overwhelm the substance? [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 16, 2015
In my review posted of
USP: How To Craft Your Unique Selling Proposition
by Tara Jacobsen and Rebekah Welch posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.
Here is my review.
More focused on elevator pitches than an authentic, differentiating USP.
Working out how you can differentiate yourself from your competitors and communicate it to the customers is very important. Since this is an area of particular interest to me, I’m working my way around all the books.
This book takes quite a while to really get going and then produces a number of fill in the gaps phrases formulas to create what I think is much more of an elevator pitch than a USP although the two are linked. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 15, 2015
The full title of this book by Jalanda James is
Unique Selling Proposition Formulas For Positioning Your Small Business
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars.
Here is my review.
Interesting review of approaches to create USPs
I’m fascinated by how businesses differentiate themselves from competitors and how they communicate their differences to their potential customers.
I welcome this short, low cost book which sets out four formulas for creating a USP although it’s fairer to say that these are approaches rather than an X + Y style “fill in the blanks” formulas. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 15, 2015
The full title of this book by Andrey Polston is
USP Breakthrough: The Power To Get More Customers, Close More Deals, and Charge Higher Prices
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it 3 Stars.
Here is my review.
An interesting approach to an important topic
I’ll encourage every small business owner who has to face up to competition, to think about their USP (unique selling proposition) because its purpose is to differentiate your business.
This book starts with an offer to download a USP companion guide packed with brainstorm questions and idea generators for each of the six steps in the USP Builder Process. It sounds good but it should be in the book that people buy rather than available, presumably in exchange for an email address. I say presumably because I clicked and the page wasn’t available. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 6, 2015
The full title of this book by Tim Coe is
Your Utterly Seductive Proposal: Make your clients and offer they can’t refuse
In my review posted on Amazon.co.uk, I gave it Three Stars. This means Worthwhile.
Here is my review.
The emphasis on being different
I like the idea of taking the old USP concept (unique sales proposition in America or unique selling point in the UK) and updating it to the Utterly Seductive Proposal.
I agree that the original concept looked at the differentiation concept from the perspective or the seller more than the buyer and sadly that’s true of a lot of marketing. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on June 20, 2013
Your Irresistible Promise is a positioning statement – like a USP – that helps customers to understand why they should buy from you rather than from others.
Summarising Your Product, Service Or Business In A Few Words
These positioning statements are important for two reasons:
- To tell the outside world – and especially customers – what your business is all about.
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- To tell your inside world and to keep you focused – your employees and suppliers need to have a clear understanding of what your business offers so that they can give you the maximum support and therefore, justify their value to you. It also keeps you clear on what your business offers that is special in a world where opportunity chasing can cause strategic drift.
Customers and prospective customers in your target market will have an opinion about you provided they have come into contact. Sometimes that opinion is fleeting – into their mind and rejected when they see your marketing and then forgotten. Other times, an impression stays in their mind, for good or bad.
It’s in your interests to manage that opinion – to make it both positive and memorable. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 5, 2013
I introduced the USP and the Irresistible Offer to you and now it’s the turn of the Mafia Offer.
Have you watched the firm The Godfather?
Do you remember when Marlon Brando says “I’m gonna make you an offer you can’t refuse.”
That’s a Mafia Offer.
The Mafia Offer And The Theory Of Constraints
The Theory of Constraints was introduced to the world in the great business novel The Goal by Eliyahu Goldratt and Jeff Cox.
The idea that every business is a system and as such, its output (making money) is limited by a constraint. Many businesses have constraints or bottlenecks inside the business but sometimes the problem is between the business and the outside world.
The constraint that holds back the business is that the business isn’t creating enough demand.
That’s where the idea of the Mafia Offer or Unrefusable Offer comes in. [continue reading…]
by Paul Simister
on May 4, 2013
The irresistible offer is an idea popularised by Mark Joyner in his book, “The Irresistible Offer: How To Sell Your Product Or Service In Three Seconds Or Less”
It builds on the old concept of the USP (standing for unique selling proposition or unique selling point).
What Is The Irresistible Offer?
According to the book… [continue reading…]
