As a small business owner, you're looking for ways to make your name stand out in your market and ways to connect with your local customers. You may not have the budget, resources, or brand recognition that some of your larger competitors have, but that doesn't mean you can't stand out from the crowd!

What's your UVP?

Your pest control company's unique value proposition (UVP) is how you communicate what makes you better than your competitors and why potential customers should choose you over them. This message needs to permeate through all that you do. It needs to be clear in your content, your headlines, and any other materials you put in front of your target audience. This is what tells them why you are better suited to handle their needs than anyone else and why they should choose you!

How do you create a UVP that will have the maximum benefit to your business?

Begin by thinking about what it is you offer to your pest control customers that your competition does not, or how you do it better.

The key to a successful UVP is in the details. (Most of our clients start with "We have great customer service!" but if everyone thinks they have great service, that's not a UVP that is going to stand out.) What customers are looking for is proof your service is that much better than any of the other companies they have researched.

Do you offer better service because of your high level of education and experience in the field? Have you been the top-rated company in the area for 75 years? Do you provide fast, same-day service with limited intrusion on the customer's time?

The key is to nail down what the most significant value you offer your customers. As a company, you may have many reasons why you are a good fit for your customers, but this is where you decide what is going to catch your target audience's attention and help them convert to a customer.

Communicate the benefit

When you are selling your established UVP to your audience, it is not enough to just say that you do better than the rest. You need to communicate the benefits of that feature to your audience. People are exposed to thousands of advertisements every day and have gotten pretty adept at tuning them out. This means that you only have a few seconds to get your message across, or they will move on. When communicating your UVP, you need to bridge the gap between the feature that you offer and the benefit it has for the customer. You can’t expect them to take that extra step themselves.

• Feature you offer: Same-day service
• Benefit to customer: “We will solve your problem by the end of the day, ensuring limited interruption in your life.”

If you sell your UVP as a same-day service, some people might jump to the benefits it offers them. However, to maximize the impact it has on your audience, you don’t want them to have to make the connections themselves.

Establishing a firm, unique value proposition for your business is the beginning of developing your brand. With a strong UVP that communicates a specific benefit to your target audience, you will begin to see higher brand recognition amongst your community. Establishing this early in your marketing process will help you develop your brand much quicker and help you develop a strong customer base.