Unique, in who's view?

Every marketing 'guru' will tell you the same: have your client in mind when creating products, service, ads, marketing material, sales scripts etc. Some even call it: clients are focused on station WII.FM (What's In It For Me), make sure you broadcast on the same 'wave-length'.

I've been rereading 'The Jelly Effect' by Andy Bounds and one of the items discussed brought back 'memories' of my own début novel:

If we are all focused on our clients, why do we keep talking about Unique Selling Point? We sell, but our clients buy.

With that (the client and his WII.FM station) in mind, wouldn't it be better to talk about Unique Buying Point?

Now, I've never been a 'fan' of restricting USP terminology my self - and allow me to quote from my own novel to explain this better:

"...Also, concentrating on finding that one single unique point that makes you different from all others can take up so much time, you could lose site of more important things, like trying to sell your product. I think one should lose the U in the Acronym and replace it with a O of Outstanding and add an S to make it points instead of just point. Why would you have to restrict yourself to only one item you’re good at? Why not use three or four fields you’re outstanding in? Suppose you have the combination of high quality products with superb service and delivery within 48 hours, all of them Outstanding Selling Points on their own, but which of them is the unique one? Or is it the combination that makes you unique?”
(The Kiss Business novel - chapter 12: More New Ways - discussion between Johnston - John for short - Adams and Kate on marketing ways)

So, combining 'John Adams' (part fictitious, part factual character) thoughts on USP with Andy Bounds UBP, perhaps we should start talking about Outstanding Buying Points (and should I edit my novel?).

Or should we just forget about fancy names and make sure our clients experience an unique and outstanding buying experience every time they buy from us?

The Jelly Effect contains many more valuable ideas and 'mind-sets' than just the one I've mentioned above, but that's for another post. Stay tuned!