7 Steps to Your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

7 Steps to Your Unique Selling Proposition

By: Jodi Cross

Check out this video we created to help you learn more about developing your USP.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBcb3atCr2I&feature=youtu.be

How do you set your company or product apart from the competition? In business we call it a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) or an elevator pitch. Your business needs it, your sales people will sell more effectively and people will remember your product or service by what makes it unique and exciting. Cross Network Marketing (CNMI) has a simple seven step process designed to develop your USP, fine- tune your key selling attributes and identify your target market more clearly.

When designing your USP you must distinguish what is unique about your product or service, incorporate excitement and determine why your customers do business with you over your competition. All of this needs to be done in a concise format that is simple and can be articulated in less than 30 seconds. Once formulated, your USP can be used to position your business in marketing materials, on your web site and for your sales pitch.


Here are seven simple steps to develop your USP:

1. Determine who your customers and target audience are?

2. List three of the most important results your customers are seeking from the purchase of your product or service? This shouldn’t be about quality, service or price- everyone can mimic those benefits.

3. List three reasons why your customers do business with you over your competitors. Think about the potential gaps you fill or problems you solve.

4. List three reasons why you do business with certain companies over others?

5. Describe your target audience and their main problem.

6. Describe how your business can solve the problem by completing this sentence, what we do is…

7. Now distill step 5 and step 6 into a concise statement, this is the start of your USP.


A USP is crucial for your business to succeed. Once you have developed your USP, be sure to incorporate it into your marketing materials. Also, be sure your company can deliver on the promise or your business reputation will suffer.

For a full white paper on how to develop your USP, contact Jodi Cross at jcross@crossnm.com. To work with a CNMI representative on developing your USP call 305- 439-6712 or visit www.crossnm.com. ©