Have you heard the marketing buzzword ‘key selling point’ before? Key selling point, unique value proposition, competitive advantage… They all mean the same thing and more than buzzwords. It’s just as important to identify your key selling point as it is to define your mission and vision statements.
Understanding and using your key selling point can bring several benefits to your business, including attracting the right clients and increasing conversions. Who doesn’t want that?!
So let’s break down what a key selling point is and how you can write one for your business.
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What is a Key Selling Point?
A key selling point is how you differentiate yourself from competitors. What makes you different? How are you unique? It’s a statement that communicates why a customer should choose your business over someone else.
Your key selling point will influence all your marketing messaging. When you understand what makes you different and why customers should choose you over competitors, you can write highly targeted and compelling messaging that makes customers want to work with you.
Here are some examples of key selling points from well-known brands:
- Domino’s Pizza: “You get fresh, hot pizza delivered to your door in 30 minutes or less—or it’s free.”
- Walmart: “Save money. Live better.”
- Peloton: “Motivation that Moves You”
These taglines explain what makes them different from other businesses. You don’t need a formal statement, but knowing your key selling point is important.
Why a Key Selling Point is Essential for Small Businesses
As I mentioned, a key selling point helps you stand out in a crowded market. Someone could offer the exact same services at the exact same price as you. Why would a client choose you over them? Maybe they connect more with your personality. Maybe they prefer your business processes. Consider what makes you unique as a business and business owner.
When you put your key selling point in your marketing messaging, you attract the right clients! You’re speaking directly to the people you want to work with. Being direct like that attracts people who value what you have to offer. You’re setting expectations and building trust right off the bat.
And then when you attract the right people, you increase conversions! Your key selling point removes hesitation and reassures potential clients that you’re the right service provider for them.
There are a lot more benefits of having a key selling point for your business, such as:
- Makes your marketing more effective
- Creates brand loyalty
- Justifies your pricing
- Guides business decisions
So I think it’s pretty clear that you need a key selling point for your business!
What’s Woods Marcom’s Key Selling Point?
Have you ever noticed my key selling point? I actually have a few!
First, I only hire people I’ve known for years and trust. I don’t hire overseas to improve my profit margin or pay below-livable wages. I only want to bring people onto my team that I trust to perform high-quality work for my clients and my own business.
That being said, I’m always the point of contact and strategist for my clients. They don’t sign a contract and get passed off to someone else. I’m always accessible to them!
Clients work directly with me, and I sometimes have contractors assist with the implementation of my strategy. Although, I end up doing that too a lot of times because I love it!
I’m very thoughtful about their unique business needs; I don’t have a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy. I dive deep into their challenges, resources, and possible solutions.
Finally, (not to toot my own horn!) clients have told me they enjoy working with me. I love creating personal connections with my clients so we feel like friends! That just makes business more fun 😉 My lovely clients Rob and Terry share these perspectives:
“Rachael is a fantastic leader with a personable down-to-earth demeanor and is a joy to work with.” – Rob
“What I love most about working with Rachael is her genuine care for the people she works for and for the projects she works on.” – Terry
4 Steps to Discover Your Key Selling Point
As you develop your key selling point, think about the unique value you provide to customers.
Not sure where to start? Follow these steps!
1. Identify Your Target Audience
Your key selling point should speak directly to your target audience so you need to know who they are! Think about their needs, challenges, and desires and how your offer addresses those points.
2. Analyze Your Competitors
To stand out, you need to know what others in your industry are offering. Explore their websites and social media accounts to see if you can spot their key selling point.
Don’t copy them, but understand how they are differentiating themselves from you. This exercise might give you some ideas about your key selling point!
3. Define Your Unique Strengths
Your strengths can come from your offerings, processes, personality, values, and more! I know it’s a little hard to brag about yourself, but spend some time thinking about what clients love about working with you. Read some past reviews or positive comments you have received to find some key selling point ideas.
4. Focus on the Customer Benefit
We often focus on the features of our services instead of the benefits. But actually, potential clients care about the results they’ll get from working with you! Shift your thinking to focus on the benefits customers will receive.
These initial steps should give you a starting point in crafting a clear and simple key selling point for your business.
Crafting a Key Selling Point For Your Business
Are you feeling prepared to develop your key selling point? I sure hope so! The tips I mentioned in this blog helped me identify my key selling points. Now, I can use them in my marketing messaging to attract my ideal clients.
Make it a goal to try these exercises this week to identify and use your key selling point in your content!
FAQs About Key Selling Points
Most businesses have a few key selling points but only use one core differentiator in their marketing messaging. This keeps the message clear, concise, and targeted to your ideal client. You can tailor different selling points to different buyer personas or offerings, but keep the messaging consistent.
A strong key selling point is clear, specific, client-focused, and memorable. Keep it to 1-2 sentences.
Of course! As your business grows and changes, your key selling point will, too. Updating your key selling point is a sign of growth. It means you’re staying relevant to your market.
