WHO IS YOUR IDEAL CLIENT PROFILE (I.C.P.) ? WHAT IS YOUR UNIQUE SELLING PROPOSITION (U.S.P.) ? AND WHY YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST JOINTLY DEFINE YOUR I.C.P.

I.C.P. : Ideal Client profile is also known as persona buyers or avatar client.

The U.S.P. concerns the offer you will propose to your I.C.P. An offer perfectly adapted to your ideal customer.

As a consultant in business strategies, I often ask my prospects to find out about their activities.The answer is often very precise on products or services but almost never on customers.I've also heard it before : ? I manufacture and sell joinery and glass fireproof partitions to construction companies ?I would have liked to hear : ? I manufacture and sell mainly EI 60 fire-resistant joinery and glass partitions, to the major building companies in the ile de France and the worksites are more concerned with buildings where the designer wishes to combine design and fire protection. We mainly sell products from the X collection because we are the only ones in Europe to produce this type of partition without visible joints ?

And now what could be your strategy?

Which strategy could be most successful?

Which one will give you the best return on investment?

1)     The Ideal Client Profile

Before you start putting any serious money into developing your products or services , it is very important to first define who is your ideal customer avatar, ideal customer, or personas buyers , many words for the same thing). Although it is of course not possible to really have 1 persona represent all your potentiel ideal customers , I will recommand you to focus on distinct key users (big margin profile ; strategics profiles ; big volumes profiles…)

If your try and cater for everyone, you’ll end to up serving no-one.

You can’t have the perfecte solution for everyone, and you souldn’t try. The USP is very usuful to hone your offering. It should solve specific, real and current problem for your ideal customer.

Can you think of that one ideal client you have who is a dream to work with ?

Who is your typical customer? Do you know exactly who your ideal customers are ? What does it look like?

What are his needs? What are his problems? What do they want?

When you understand these things , you’ll be able to talk to them in a way which make sense to them.How would you describe your business from the customer's point of view? What are the benefits you bring? What is your added value?

Do you know exactly what problems you are solving ?

Do you know why they have an interest in working with you ?

what do you think will be the most effective strategy?

With his information, I am able to define a market, to value my "unique selling proposition "

2)     The Unique Selling Proposition.

- What is your customers' number one problem? What is your response to this request?

When you understand these things , you’ll understand the type of language they use, the sorts of questions they ask, the types of phrases they feel comfortable with and the terminology they use to describe their needs. Your message will penetrate more effectively when you’re speaking their language.

- Who is your "alternative" client to the main client?

- Who are your competitors? How are they different from you?

- What makes you different from others? What makes you unique? What is the value of your product?

- What do your customers like best about your products? What feedback do they give you?

A Unique Selling Proposition (USP) is essential to effectively present its offer to its customers, prospects, prescribers... or to position each product in a range on a specific benefit.

Customers do not buy products or functions, they buy benefits, results, solutions... whether they are tangible (e.g. time savings, money savings...) or intangible (e.g. social value...).

These benefits, solutions, results can be rational (e.g. comply with fire regulations...) or irrational (e.g. ensure perfect design...).

The USP is an American marketing technique that stands for Unique Selling Proposition, the idea of making a key proposal during a sales speech. The Unique Selling Proposition, which appeared in the 1940s thanks to Rosser Reeves, consists of three concepts: the uniqueness of the product, the selling point and the proposal. As a way of differentiating itself from potential competitors, the USP must allow the interlocutor to get a clear idea of the benefits he will receive from the purchase. The final proposal must be attractive and convince the buyer to buy the proposed product or service, so the argument must be understandable and immediately identifiable. In addition, it must not be similar to that of another product in order to create a difference on the market (uniqueness).

U.S.P . is very efficient to convert interested leads into paying customers which boosts your bottom line.

U.S.P. is a very easy way to attract and to engage your prospect.

When you’are talking to someone about things they’re interested in , it’s much easier to attract them.

The goal is not to try and convince buyers to be interested, but to find those who already are and then engage them and help them.This is the foundation of a successful business process.

now I'm sure you're convinced of the usefulness of both I.C.P. and U.S.P. Having defined these I.C.P. is crucial for a company. But beware of I.C.P. without U.S.P. are not useful for much, in the best case you will address the right target but without being sure to have the right speech and the right argument. Having defined these U.S.P. is also crucial for a company. But here again, U.S.P. targets who are addressed to the wrong targets have little chance of success. You must therefore work on these two items at the same time to be perfectly effective. Once this work is done, you will have to move on to the second step, which consists in determining the M.A.N. of your I.C.P. to whom you will present your U.S.P.

Translation: You will have to identify the M.A.N. i.e. the people with the money, authority and need (Money Authority and Needs). You must absolutely address the "decision-maker".

Example: I am a manufacturer of lubricant products particularly suited to the manufacturing watch industry, I have prepared my U.S.P. based on the testimonies of my I.C.P. and I have prepared a commercial proposal consistent with the competition that I have identified as having already potentially contacted my prospect, I am preparing to make an appointment with the chief engineer. I present my products to him for an hour to learn at the end that it is not him who places the order but the company's headquarters in Switzerland.

That is why in a very next article, I will talk to you about the M.A.N. and its importance in your business strategies.

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