The principles of marketing mentioned here are correct.
For me however, there is a big difference between a small company and a larger one.
Call it USP or S.O.B. it still boils down to what's in it for the client. My guess would be that a USP is shorter, more memorable therefore will clings more to the memory. It still has to be perceived by the client as a benefit. A reason that they will choose you over the others, a differentiating tool.
Everybody gets a huge exposure to advertisement, so unless one is a large company with a good budget that is willing to spend $$$ for that USP to stick in the potential clients memory, it will not.
So, any small company that tries to compete with a large company using the same tools, is foolhardy.
Not any USP will work. It has to be something where the large companies will be at disadvantage. And that will also help you compete with your smaller competitors. And people are both tired of and cynical about slick marketing statements. They come a dozen a penny.
Promote your business with what makes your company great and harder for others to compete with you. Understand that your USP is but a small part of your marketing and be focused and consistent about your message.
i agree about the difference of a small company versus a large one.
i agree getting in the door is hardest part and thats what this about.
i also think well ive had experience with people telling me they skip over the big ads and look for the smaller local guy. they want thier dollars to stay in the community. i have a simple bold listing in the yp and still get quite a few calls from it. maybe id get more with a bigger better ad but then im also working for the yp's imo. several hundred a year for an ad versus several thousand is big to me since i do everything myself. when i started out i spent a lt on advertising and worked my butt off keeping up. i shouldve hired help then but i was a rookie and had no clue what i was doing to an extent.
im much happier now working less and keeping more but i do need to grow again.
speaking of seperating yourself once in the home, i just present myself as an honest hard working person. i dont put the other guys down and i dont try and sell them that im much better. i let my work speak for me and my charming personality.
about that honesty thing, i think by building yourself up and proclaiming how much better you are can backfire as much as it helps. you create a situation where you have to prove it and how do you do that. most of us are doing the same thing. how many people ask if what you do is steam cleaning.
i look at it like dating. if you have an online profile telling what a great guy you and when you get a meet you have to live up to that expectation or you lose the sale. ive heard the horror stories both dating and cleaning. i prefer to downplay things and just sell myself as average and when i do get in the door its easier to impress. again with being honest and doing what you say you are going to do. it doesnt have to be bells and whistles for most people.
okk im at the filipinas still so i better not stay on here but i just dont like over selling myself. i find it easier and less stressful to just do as best as i can when i have the oppertunity and not oversell myself.this will probably change as most things do but for now its where im at.
