USP is dead, long live CVP and EVP - Communicate specific added value to customers and employees.

Why is the term 'USP', which has been used for so long, actually dead, even though it is still used so frequently? And why do the two newer abbreviations CVP and EVP make more sense? It doesn't take a specialized User Experience (UX) expert to clarify that a Unique Selling Point (USP) in terms of a great technical engineering achievement and a sales promise does not necessarily mean real customer benefit. For example, there was once a washing machine that could wash at 33 or 67 degrees Celsius, but unfortunately, it was not bought (and therefore it no longer exists). The great sales argument with a unique solution that no other washing machine offered simply did not provide any (additional) value or purchasing argument for us as customers. Because we don't really benefit from this invention: since our clothes only indicate 30, 60, or 90 degrees, we can't really make a different choice. And the user manual certainly didn't get any shorter because of it... It would have been better back then to involve a Design Thinking team and stop the invention early before the launch (fail fast & learn). Therefore, it is more sensible and successful to focus on customer value in all innovation initiatives. The 'Customer Chair Methodology' can be applied, as used by internet giants and insurance conglomerates: in every relevant meeting, there is an empty chair where an imaginary customer sits and continuously listens or is repeatedly asked in the room what he would say about X or Y. I once led a meeting where one of the participants jokingly said at one point, "Can we please briefly cover the customer's ears? He shouldn't hear this now." Therefore, we should change our vocabulary from USP not only to UVP (Unique Value Proposition) but immediately - in contrast to EVP (see below) - to CVP, Customer Value Proposition or Customer Benefit Promise. This includes not only the products or services to be purchased but the complete customer experience (Customer Experience) throughout the purchase and usage cycle (Customer and User Journey) - including pre-information as well as advice at all customer touchpoints and after-sales service. An example of this is Amazon's CVP: 'Anything, Anywhere, Anytime.' In addition to CVP, companies need to market their employer brand in the challenging War for Talents. Companies can develop and communicate an Employee Value Proposition (EVP) similar to their customer value proposition - a value proposition that the company offers to its employees in contrast to other companies. An example is Dell's EVP, which expresses that the company sees its employees as a key success factor and strives to develop them further - You thrive, We thrive. Such promises should not be empty rhetoric but should be reflected in concrete measures. And as Virgin founder Richard Branson emphasizes time and time again, the employee is more important than the customer. In Germany, EVP is mistakenly titled as 'Employer Value Proposition' too often and is sometimes ahead of the correct formulation 'Employee Value Proposition' in Google Trends. Worldwide, however, about 75% use the correct formulation. Just as CVP stands for Customer Value Proposition and not Company Value Proposition, even though it is the promise of the company, but for the customer...! What do you think? Feel free to write to us... Have fun and even more success in fine-tuning and communicating your CVP and EVP!