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Differentiating Your Offer/Approach Via USF (Unique Service Feature) Number Two!

Differentiating your offer by the differing ways in which your offer does its’ deliverable, is another hallmark trait of veteran successful sales professionals. It is never a true ‘apple to apple comparison’ when you can differentiate by how your deliverable works versus other similar options, and then when you make the case about “how” you operate, deliver or are different, then the competition pales in comparison.

While marketing has found that an organization or person can differentiate them self in a marketplace by examining their “Unique Selling Features/USF”, the selling world has also learned that sometimes an even greater differentiator is the sales professionals “Unique Service Feature/USF #2”!

“Unique Service Feature/” USF #2 identifies:

  • All of the specific ways (tangibles and intangibles) in which your offer does or delivers its unique value proposition to the user that the competition doesn’t do
  • In essence the USF #2 is centering in on all of the things you offer does, the “how” factors

While USF #1 (remember Unique ‘Selling’ Feature) is about four core variables in the consumer’s mind, what you do that is:

  • Better, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace, or
  • Faster, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace, or
  • Different, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace, or
  • Cost Effective, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace, or

Many times’ in the market place a prospect/customer may have a really difficult time seeing “how” the differentiators perform as being genuinely different than the “how” others offer. Then your offer may blend in to the sea of options, instead of standing out as the choice among options and offers.

With USF #2, the “Unique Service Features” focus in on HOW you do what you do, and this many times is where you really differentiate yourself from everyone else!

You must be capable of fluidly conversationally being able to recognize the importance of being able to have a depth of knowledge on all of the unique things that you represent. Knowing all of the unique “how factors” allows the sales professional to have an informed, educated and conversational engagement with prospects/customers. If a sales professional has limited knowledge of the totality of the “how factors” then they will miss many selling opportunities.

With USF #2 (remember Unique ‘Service’ Feature) is about showing how the above four core variables in the consumer’s mind, what you do that is can be conversationally associated with powerful and appropriate HOW statements:

  • Better, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace and how this works better than any other market option, or
  • Faster, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace and how this works faster/more efficiently than any other market option, or
  • Different, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace and how this works differently than any other market option, or
  • Cost Effective, then what they have now or is available in the marketplace and how this works more cost effectively than any other market option, or

McDonald’s restaurant chain differentiates itself in advertisements by using a “USF #2”, when it says:

“Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, special orders don’t upset us, have it ___________!”

This statement differentiates them in the sea of fast food hamburger options by communicating to the prospects/customers in their market place, that if you want a hamburger then come to us. Our USF is your USF.

Have you determined what goes in the space above? If not, try the saying and complete it with the USF words, “Y-O-U-R W-A-Y.”

As a sales professional, it is critical to know and your responsibility to know on a macro if not micro level:

  • The breath of deliverables you have to offer and HOW each works that would comply a listener to want to engage you further to find out more
  • The Unique Selling Features of each or the HOW factors of each
  • Recognize what are the primary, secondary and tertiary facts or what factors around each deliverable and HOW that serves others
  • Understanding your primary secondary and tertiary competitor’s deliverables so you can differentiate between you and others in a meaningful manner when asked by a customer or prospect that may be considering multiple buying options, HOW theirs or yours differ
  • And from an effective conversational selling interact in determining through vetting questions what the customer or prospects needs are, then only present the most powerful and appropriate selling solution deliverable to them with emphasis on your HOW factors
  • Do not over-sell or present too many solutions, as this can overwhelm the other person and cause them to mentally disengage from the interaction
  • Ask yourself if you have a “Unique Service Feature” that is stand alone and powerful as that USF jingle used for decades!

Ask yourself as sales professionals if you have a “Unique Service Feature” that is stand alone and powerful as that USF jingle used for decades!




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