Perry S.

Marshall & Associates 1

BRYAN TODDS
USP BUILDER METHOD QUESTIONNAIRE

(1) Choose your buyer.
(2) Choose what it is youre selling.
(3) Choose your unique angle.
(4) Add a negative promise.
(5) Add a time frame.
(6) Add an or else.

(1) CHOOSE YOUR BUYER.

Is there something in particular thats unique or noteworthy about the buyer you
serve?

Demographic
Do you serve a specific demographic?
Do you serve businesses that themselves serve a specific demographic?
Could you increase your overall response by tailoring your product or service to a
particular demographic?
Could you offer specific demographically targeted products or services in addition
to your main offerings?
Age
Gender
Geography
Income
Education
Work
Family
Religious or political convictions

Problem
Is there something unique and specific about the problem you solve?
Is the problem you solve acute, or chronic?
Is the problem you solve rare, or widespread?
Does your solution solve one pinpointed problem, or a whole host of issues?
Has it been unusually hard for your customer (or your competitors) to solve
this problem?

Niche
Do you serve a specific niche?
Is there an unusual type of business niche or business owner you serve?
Do you center on a particular hobby?
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Do you center on a particular type of taste?
Do you center on a particular genre?
Do you center on a particular area of interest or study
Do you serve a particular size of group or organization or business?



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(2) CHOOSE WHAT IT IS YOURE SELLING

Do you primarily offer a product?
Software
Consumables
Physical items

Do you primarily offer a service?

Can you offer
your product as an upsell/downsell from an existing service?
your service as an upsell/downsell from an existing product?

Are you the thing for sale?
Technician
Salesperson
Consultant
Coach
Speaker
Entertainer
Athlete

If your primary offering is a product or service (as opposed to your own skills), what
elements about yourself are unique that you can talk about or emphasize with
respect to the product or service you provide?
Your knowledge/skills
Your experience/story
Your unique personality
Your particular demographic

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(3) CHOOSE YOUR UNIQUE ANGLE

Outcome
Is there something unique about the outcome or result that you provide?

Is there a unique set of tangible benefits from doing business with you?

Features
Does your product or service have features included that competitor products dont
have?
Does your product cover content that competitors products dont?
Is there something noteworthy about the ingredients or components that make up
your product?
The Colonels 11 secret herbs & spices
5 active moisturizers
9 separate points of protection

Track Record
Do you have a track record that sets you apart from others?
The amount of time youve been in business?
The number of customers youve served?
The number of testimonials from satisfied customers youve collected?
The amount of time youve gone without a loss or failure?

Environment/Presentation
Does your place of business have an attractive, interesting, or unusual
environment?
Do you have especially friendly or interesting employees or reps?
Is there a unique way that you present (or deliver) your product or service?
Is there something special about your packaging thats unique?
Unusually attractive or fancy?
Easy to use or open or reseal?
Disposable? Biodegradable? Reusable?

Method/Mechanism
Whats unique or noteworthy about your method?
Is it faster (when speed is important)?
Is it slower (when quality or age is important)?
Is it simpler?
Does it handle complexity better?
Does it result in fewer mistakes or problems?
Is it interesting to watch or read about?
Is it patented?

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Quality
Do you provide a higher quality that you can back up with data or proof?
Do you provide a lower quality that saves your customer money?

Customization
Is your product or service more customized than what your competitors provide?
Is your product or service off-the-shelf and therefore inexpensive or more
convenient?

DIY vs. DFY
Is your service completely done for you?
Is your service or product completely do it yourself?
Do you offer a unique combination of the above?

User Experience
Does your buyer have an experience using your product or service that your
competitor doesnt offer?
Faster?
Less rushed?
More friendly?
More private / less obtrusive?
More fun or humorous?
More serious / devoid of silliness?
More luxurious?
More simple/Spartan?

Bundle
Do you offer a combination of product or service features your customer cant find
elsewhere?
Does your bundle include things that would be more expensive if bought
separately?
Do you uniquely offer a la carte?

Price/Payment
Is your price unusually high?
Is your price unusually low?
Do you offer payment options that your competitor does not?


With any or all of the above questions, ask:
Do I already have a unique angle here that Ive just never advertised before?
Can I take this concept and create a new angle in my business that I can
then advertise?

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(4) ADD A NEGATIVE PROMISE

Is there some undesirable or unnecessary feature or ingredient that your product or
service doesnt contain or include?

Is there a particular undesirable outcome, side effect, or result that your product or
service avoids or prevents?

Is there something undesirable or unnecessary your competitors product or service
involves or requires of the customer that yours does not?

Is your product or service special because it doesnt use or consume a particular
thing?
Doesnt cost extra money
Doesnt burn or use up something of value
Doesnt waste resources (money, space, energy, time)


Go through the previous maps. What promise or claim can you make about your
product or service that is an opposite of whats on the map?

What can you say is not true about your product or service, in a way that your
prospect will understand it to be a benefit?


Your buyer:

You dont serve a particular kind of buyer or demographic.
You dont solve certain types of problems.
Or,
You serve everybody:
You dont limit yourself to a particular buyer or demographic.
You dont limit yourself to a particular type of problem.

What youre selling:

Others require a service purchase; you sell only a product.
Others require a product purchase; you only sell a service.
Others push & promote themselves; you leave the personal stuff out of it.




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Your angle:

You promise a different outcome.
You have no negative or undesirable track record.
Theres nothing inconvenient, wasteful or unnecessary in your presentation or
packaging.
You leave out unnecessary or unhelpful features.
You dont use any unpleasant methods, or methods that require or result in X.
You wont allow anything below a certain quality level.
Competitors only do customized; yours is off-the-shelf. (Or vice versa.)
Others charge to do it for you; you offer a do-it-yourself version. (Or vice versa.)
Your customer will never have X bad experience while shopping with you or using
your product.
You offer a la carte while your competitor only offers bundles. (Or vice versa.)
Theres nothing complicated, burdensome, or unethical about your payment plans.






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(5) ADD A TIME FRAME

Is there a negative thing that you allow the buyer to solve, avoid or delay (e.g.,
having to replace a used, worn out, or broken item) for an extended period of time?
Can you promise a longer period of time than your competitor does?

Can you promise a permanent solution, or permanent relief?

Is there a negative thing that you can get rid of immediately, or quickly?
Is there a positive benefit that you can deliver immediately, or quickly?

Is there a necessary process to getting rid of a negative issue that takes time (hours,
days, weeks, months), but which you make easier or faster?

Is there a necessary process to getting a positive benefit, result or outcome (hours,
days, weeks, months), but which you make faster or easier?

For any of the above, what is a way that you can promise a better time frame than
your competitor?





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(6) ADD AN OR ELSE

Can you promise a full refund?
Can you promise a portion of a refund?
Can you promise a multiple of a refund?
Double your money back
Triple your money back
Your money back + $XXX

Can you promise to replace it for free?

Can you promise to redo it for free?

Can you promise a combination of these?
Refund + replacement
Refund + redo
Redo + replacement

Can you make your or else conditional dependent on action or completion of
some set of required steps by your customer?

Can you reduce risk to yourself by adding a time limit to your promise?
E.g., up to 1 full year

Can you add more time to your promise?
10 years or 100,000 miles

Can you make a lifetime promise?

Do your competitors offer any kind of similar promise?
What elements of your competitors promise can you do better than?