a Car "Were number two. We try harder."   Federal Express "When it absolutely, positively has to be there." Dominos Pizza "Fresh, hot pizza in 30 minutes or less" What do all three of these slogans have in common? They are powerful statements of uniqueness that helped to propel their respective companies to success.   Avis Car Rental knew that Hertz, the number one car rental company, was so much bigger than them that they couldnt compete head on so they positioned themselves as the number two car company that worked harder for the customer.   Federal Express based their slogan on a promise of delivery reliability. Dominos based their slogan on the fact that most pizza eaters dont care how much stuff is on their pizza, but that it is hot, fresh, and delivered quickly.   Your Unique Selling Proposition   Each of these slogans is their respective companys unique selling proposition (USP). A USP is something that differentiates you from all your competitors both local and industry-wide. Its what makes you so unique that people will choose to do business with you over any of your competitors. Your USP states your distinct advantage.   One of the deadliest mistakes small businesses make is not being unique. Now more than ever you must differentiate your small business. Today there is an explosion of choices for consumers. During slow times, the same number of small businesses will be vying for a diminishing number of prospects. When this happens the competitive landscape gets tougher and choices for consumers get more difficult.   If you want to survive during the slow economy you must differentiate yourself in the eyes of your prospect. Your USP is what states to the world why you are different.   *Factoid*: The origin of USP comes from a man named Rosser Reeves who was considered the "high priest of hard sell." He was an advertising agency chairman back in the 60s. He wrote a book titled, "Reality in Advertising" that became very popular. It was translated into 28 languages. He introduced and defined the concept called Unique Selling Proposition. Why is Your USP so Important   To be successful in small business you dont have to be the best, you just have to be