Many lists of selling tips focus on things like listening to your customers and preparing for sales pitches, but the lists fall short when it comes to providing useful tips about product marketing. Many product-marketing professionals need selling tips that help them differentiate their offerings from products sold by other companies. If you sell products instead of services, use these tips to create a unique offering in the marketplace.
If you plan to sell products to consumers or businesses, a unique selling proposition is one of the most important statements you can prepare. The unique selling proposition, or USP, helps you convince your customer that your company's product is better than the products offered by your competitors. Having a USP is especially important if you sell products manufactured by a number of companies. Clothing is a prime example, as pants and shirts serve the same purpose whether your company or another manufacturer produces them. The key is making your offer unique. Perhaps your company's shirts are made of a more durable fabric or one that reduces perspiration. One of the easiest selling tips to follow is to make a list of the product's features and then determine what benefits those features will give your customers.
When writing your USP, you must identify what makes your product unique. Amazon did this when it started offering targeted advertising services to other companies. Advertising is not a unique offering, but Amazon does have a unique advantage over its competitors. Because Amazon has access to information about customers' shopping habits, the company can serve targeted ads to customers who have already bought similar products. In an interview with "Financial Times" reporter Barney Jopson, media expert Chris Vollmer said this prevents marketers from losing contact with potential customers as they shop.
There are several selling tips that can help you craft a unique selling proposition and set your product apart from those made by your competitors. First, always assume the role of the customer. What you think the customer wants may be different from what the customer actually wants. Although some people shop based on price alone, others are more interested in reliability or convenience. If you have an existing customer base, one of the best selling tips to follow is to survey those customers and ask them why they buy your company's products. Your current customers are an excellent source of information, so use that information to your advantage when creating a unique offer.
Your company does not have to sell one-of-a-kind products to have a unique offering in the marketplace. You just need to be able to follow basic selling tips to create a USP that communicates why your product is better than your competitors'. Following these selling tips will help you make more sales, increase your commissions, and help your company succeed.
(Photo courtesy of stockimages / freedigitalphotos.net)
Become a member to take advantage of more features, like commenting and voting.
Register or sign in today!