Creating a Unique Selling Proposition (USP) for your contractor business is crucial to differentiating yourself from your competitors, and also for effectively communicating your value to prospective clients.

In the eyes of potential customers, your USP has the power to transform your Website or other Marketing Platform from a ho-hum “Sales Brochure” experience into an irresistible solution to their most pressing problems and desires.

Here's a step-by-step blueprint to crafting a compelling USP for your building or remodeling contractor business:

 

First, let's understand exactly what a USP is.

A unique selling proposition is what your business offers that is different from all of the other competitors in your marketplace.

The most powerful USPs are those that help your business solve your prospective customers' most urgent problems or satisfy their greatest desires, in a way that none of your competitors are doing.

USPs are sometimes referred to as Unique Selling Points instead of Unique Selling Propositions. Many businesses also refer to Value Propositions as part of their marketing. The common theme is what makes your business stand out in your prospects eyes by providing value that your competition does not.

 

Now, let's get to work crafting a USP that will win new customers for your business.

1. Understand Your Target Market

Who are your clients?

Before you can craft a USP that resonates, you need to decide who you're speaking to. Are your primary clients residential homeowners, commercial businesses, or large-scale industrial projects?

Now drill down another level. If you serve residential homeowners, which ones do you want your business to put the most focus on? New construction or remodels? Whole house, kitchens, bathrooms, or room additions? High-end renovations or budget services?

What are your core clients' most painful problems?

Clients come to you because they want your help solving a problem. Maybe it's raining and they've got a leaking roof. They want help now!  Or they're trying to prepare family meals in a cramped kitchen and every meal is a reminder of how uncomfortable they feel.

If your USP promises to solve potential clients' most urgent problems you will have their attention.

How do you know what your clients' biggest problems are?

• • Ask your past clients what their biggest problem was that you helped them solve.
  • Ask the clients you're working with now.
  • Do some reverse engineering. Look at your most popular types of service and work backwards to figure out what motivated your clients to get your help.

What do your core clients value most?

Different clients have different priorities. Some might prioritize saving money, while others might be willing to pay a premium for quality. Understanding whether your core clients value speed, sustainability, or other factors the most will help tailor your USP.

How do you know what your clients value most?

• • Ask your past clients.
  • Ask the clients you're working with now.
  • Look at your numbers. Your clients vote with their credit cards.

Image: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay

2. Analyze Your Competitors

How do you know if you have a Unique Sales Proposition if you don't know the USPs of your biggest competitors? Finding this out is the first step in making your business unique in the eyes of the people you want to sell to and serve.

Who are your biggest direct competitors in your geographical area?

Now identify what your competitors offer and what their biggest Value Proposition (their USP) is.

By understanding what your competitors are offering, you can identify areas where you can differentiate yourself. Are they focusing on eco-friendly materials? Or maybe they pride themselves on finishing their projects quickly?

What are your biggest direct competitors' USPs?

If you can figure this out it will put you one step closer to out-competing them in your chosen specialty.

The first place to look for their USP is their website. You can also look at their Google Business Profile or their Facebook Business Page.

If you can't tell what a competitor's USP is, that's good!  It will just make it easier for you to make your business stand out with one.

What can you learn from your competitors' USPs?  Are there gaps in what is offered?

Every market has gaps—areas where clients' needs aren't being fully met. By identifying these gaps, you can position your business to fill them, giving you a competitive edge.

3. Identify The Strengths Of Your Business

Now that you have a better grasp on what your biggest competitors are doing, it's time to look at what your business has going for it.

What sets you apart?

Maybe your team has decades of combined experience, or maybe you've invested in the latest construction technologies. Identifying what you do better than anyone else is crucial in crafting your USP.

Highlight Unique Materials Or Techniques

If you're using a cutting edge construction method or a material that's better than what your competitors are using, highlight it. This can be a significant selling point for clients looking for the latest and greatest in construction.

What Are Your Specializations?

If you specialize in a niche market, such as historic restorations or green building, make sure potential clients know about it.

 

 

 

4. Now Set The Features Aside – What Benefits Do You Provide To Your Clients?

Maybe you've heard this saying. “People don't want to buy an eighth-inch drill bit, they want to buy an eighth-inch hole in their wall.” Or, people don't want to pay for you to design a beautiful kitchen for them, they just want a kitchen that lets them relax and enjoy their home.

Your clients might be impressed by the technical aspects of your offers, but it's not about how great your business is. It's all about how you can help your prospects get what they want.

That's why the most effective USPs focus on the benefits you provide your clients, and not on the wonderful features of your business.

 

5. Create A USP For Your Business

If you've completed the steps above you now have all the pieces you need to create an effective Unique Selling Proposition for your business.

There are still hundreds of ways you could write your USP. Here are a few guidelines:

• • Shorter is usually better, because you want people to actually read it and remember it.
  • Make it unique. Claiming to be the best, or to have the highest quality isn't a USP.  Everyone claims to be the best and have the highest quality.
  • Specific USPs are usually more powerful. Your business can't be the best at everything, but it can always be the best at a specific part of your market.

 

 

Method 1. Borrow a USP

You could copy a USP you like from a similar business that's not in your direct geographical marketplace, and tweak it so it's personalized for your business.

For example: In Miami DBUILTEK's USP is “We are a Design-Build firm focused on creating spaces that satisfy our customers’ needs by using our visualization tools (CanvasCity) that allow our users to experience the space before it gets built.”

If you use visualization software in your business you could write a USP similar to this that differentiates your business from your competitors.

Method 2. Follow a Formula

You could also start with the following formula, just filling in your specific business information between the brackets:

[Your business] helps [your ideal prospect] [solve X problem] by [your unique service offering] to receive [Y benefit].

 

For example, “JB Construction helps seniors avoid spending their last years in a nursing home with our Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, helping to provide the independence and dignity you deserve.”

Method 3. Fake It Til You Make It

Give your USP your best shot, then try it on your website. If you're not happy with your client conversion rate after a month, then try a different USP and see if your conversion rate goes up. Keep doing that until you find a USP that gives you good results.

 

Method 4. Use my ChatGPT Prompt

Kicking Ass Media has developed its own ChatGPT Prompt, the USP Creator for Service Businesses. All you need to do is enter 4 pieces of information into the Prompt Hint:

• • your ideal potential client,
  • your potential client’s big problem,
  • your business’ unique service offering,
  • the benefit your ideal potential client will receive

For example, using the JB Construction example from above, you would go to chat.openai.com, search for and select USP Creator for Service Businesses, then enter the following information into the Prompt:

• • seniors,
  • spending their last years in a nursing home,
  • Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels,
  • helping to provide the independence and dignity you deserve

ChatGPT will then generate 5 variations of a USP, with an output that looks like this:

“Certainly! Here are 5 variations of a Unique Selling Proposition based on the provided variables:

• • We empower seniors to avoid spending their last years in a nursing home by offering Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, ensuring the independence and dignity you've earned.
  • We assist seniors in overcoming the challenge of spending their final years in a nursing home through our Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, granting the freedom and respect you deserve.
  • We enable seniors to bypass the confines of a nursing home with our Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, delivering the independence and honor you're entitled to.
  • We guide seniors away from the prospect of a nursing home stay using our Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, bestowing the self-reliance and dignity you've always valued.
  • We support seniors in sidestepping the nursing home route with our Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) remodels, providing the autonomy and esteem you cherish.

Each of these USPs is crafted to highlight the benefit to the seniors, emphasizing their independence and dignity.”

Just pick the variation you like the best, tweak it the way you want, and you've got a USP. Or you can ask ChatGPT for 5 more variations. Just click “regenerate.”

6. Real Contractor Business USP Examples

Want to get some inspiration for your business USP? Just go to Google and search for contractors or remodelers in [pick a city]. Scroll through the business listings and start clicking on websites. See if you can spot their USP.

Here are some USPs for contractor businesses in New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Kansas City from a recent Google search:

• • We have been perfecting the renovation experience, for over 20 years
    MyHomeUS.com (on their About-Us page)
  • The Knockout Standard – We make it easier to create your dream home
    KnockoutRenovation.com
  • Your Trusted Partner in Creating Timeless Structures
    RenovatioNYC.com
  • We Build Forever Homes
    RemodelMoore.com
  • Bringing Together Friendly Professionalism and Quality Products to get Your Dream Remodel Done On-Time and In-Budget 
    GoldHeartHomes.com
  • Professional Remodeling Since 1955
    CityWideRemodelers.com
  • If You Can Dream It We Can Build It
    GlazerConstruction.com
  • On Time, On Budget, On Point
    JMKcontractor.com

  • We are a Design-Build firm focused on creating spaces that satisfy our customers’ needs by using our visualization tools (CanvasCity) that allow our users to experience the space before it gets built.
    dbuiltek.com

 

Conclusion

If you've read this far, we hope you've created some great ideas for your own business USP.

A well-defined USP has the potential to win lots of new clients for you business.

Just going through the exercise of creating a USP may also help you understand your own business better, and get you thinking about how you can make it more competitive in your marketplace. And that's a win!

 

 

 

Feature Image via Dreamstime