Here's a short marketing quiz that's a real eye-opener. Answer the following three questions--the first answer that pops into your head.

1. Name a brand of blue jeans.
2. Name a hamburger fast food restaurant.
3. Name a car rental company.

Are you done? Here's what I think you answered:

1. Levi's
2. McDonald's
3. Hertz Can I read your mind?

Am I a psychic? Well, sorry to disappoint you - but I'm not. I'm just demonstrating the power of the marketing strategy I'm about to reveal.

Take a moment to imagine what kind of success your business would have if your product or service were similarly imprinted into your customers' minds. Each of these brands and businesses "owns" a unique position in your mind. They mean something special to you.

I can almost hear you protesting, "But Dan, those companies spent millions of dollars to position themselves. I don't have a million-dollar marketing budget! How can I position my business, in my customers' minds, with little or no marketing budget to work with?"

The answer is to create a Unique Selling Proposition (USP).

The concept "USP" is the brainchild of Rosser Reeves, once the chairman and chief copywriter of the Ted Bates & Co. advertising agency. In the 1950s, their advertising agency single-handedly set the stage for creative television commercials, something that had never been done before.

Reeves was an outspoken and larger than life character with a passion for advertising. One of the reasons the company soared was because of his USP theory. His definition of what makes a USP holds true today:

• All advertising must make a proposition to the customer: Buy this, and you will receive a specified benefit.
• The proposition must be unique; something competitors cannot claim, or have not chosen to emphasize in their promotions.
• The proposition must be so compelling that it motivates millions of people to act.

A USP is not just a slogan or a phrase that will appear in your advertising, although that's one potential use for it. A USP is a concise and memorable phrase that answers your
prospects' implicit question: "Why should I choose your business, product, or service versus any other?"

You may have a hot product or service, but if you cannot powerfully describe its unique value to your prospects (and create some excitement among potential buyers), you may not truly have a basis for long-term success. 

About the author:

A former college dropout, Dan Lok transformed himself from a grocery bagger in a local supermarket to a multi-millionaire. Today, Dan is one of the most sought-after business mentors on the Web, as well as a best-selling author. His reputation includes his title as the World's #1 Website Conversion Expert. To find out what Dan is up to now, visit him at: http://www.WebsiteConversionExpert.com