Do you know what makes your pharmacy unique?
Of course you do.
It’s why your pharmacy differs from the competition. And, it’s why patients want to come to your local pharmacy over national chain pharmacies and big box stores.
But do you use that information to your advantage?
Are you using it to entice new patients? Or, are you hoping people will figure it out on their own?
In today’s highly competitive market, setting your pharmacy apart from your competition is a necessity for success.
And positioning your pharmacy as unique makes your business more valuable and more visible to potential patients.
It helps build a lasting impression in patients’ minds.
But you have to tell them—and show them—what makes your pharmacy unique.
And creating that impression starts with crafting a unique selling proposition for your pharmacy.
What is a unique selling proposition?
Can you put into one sentence what exactly makes your pharmacy unique?
If so, you might have yourself a unique selling proposition.
Put simply, a unique selling proposition is one clear benefit that’s unique to your business. It’s the distinct feature of your business that brings emotional gratification to your patients.
You know your pharmacy is unique. Why do you need to create a unique selling proposition?
When you take the time to create a well-crafted unique selling proposition, you can drastically improve your marketing efforts, better target your best patients and gain new patients.
But only if you put it into practice.
You need to incorporate your unique selling proposition into:
- Marketing plan
- Marketing projects
- Business plan
If you don’t make your patients aware of what makes your pharmacy unique, then it won’t matter that you know it. Because they won’t.
So, where do pharmacies fail?
Sounds simple, right?
Tell people what makes your pharmacy unique.
It is simple. But many independent pharmacies get it wrong.
They try to make their business all things to all people.
They want to have the lowest prices and the highest quality products. The best customer service and the shortest wait times. They want people to know them for being local and offering the best selection of mainstream front-end items.
As this writer puts it, “When you attempt to be known for everything, you don’t become known for anything.”
How to write a unique selling proposition for your pharmacy
So, take the time to craft a unique selling proposition that you want to implement in your pharmacy. While it takes some work initially, the results are worth the effort.
Follow these steps to create a successful unique selling proposition.
1. Identify your pharmacy’s target market
Before you decide on your unique selling proposition, you first need to have a solid understanding of your target market.
Step out from your position behind the pharmacy counter and think like your patients.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What drives your patients to visit your pharmacy? Reliability? Convenience? Friendly interactions?
- What is your main demographic?
- What are your patients’ purchase preferences?
And, don’t forget to talk to your patients. They visit their local pharmacy instead of a national chain pharmacy for a reason. Ask them why!
2. Brainstorm the benefits
Once you identify your target patients, it’s time to brainstorm.
Start by writing down the best benefits your pharmacy offers.
Be sure to include benefits that answer why patients value your products and services.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What does your pharmacy do for patients?
- What problem do you solve for patients?
- What does your pharmacy do that the competition doesn’t?
Then, organize those benefits into a list with the most important at the top and the least important at the bottom.
Use the top benefit on your list to craft your unique selling proposition.
3. Draft a few unique selling propositions
Write a few possibilities for unique selling propositions.
Remember to make them unique.
Consider these strategies to come up with a successful unique selling proposition:
- Find a void in the market and fill it
- Locate patients pain points or problems and fix them
- State how your services will solve a problem
- Look at your competition and think about how you differ from them
- Focus on your niche (i.e. diabetes care, specialty pharmacy, nutrition)
- Choose something measurable, such as time or price
- Be specific and offer proof when possible
4. Choose a favorite
Out of your drafts, choose the unique selling proposition that best represents your pharmacy.
5. Cut it down
Condense your best unique selling proposition until each word counts.
A clear, concise unique selling proposition will be more beneficial to your pharmacy than a muddled proposition that tries to hit too many points.
Each word in your unique selling proposition should sell your benefit.
Now, what do you do with it?
Once you write your powerful unique selling proposition, integrate it into your marketing efforts.
Make your unique selling proposition the message around which you base all of your promotions. Include it in:
- Email marketing
- Events you host
- Sales you run
- Social media marketing
- Telling your unique pharmacy story
And, make sure to inform your staff of your unique selling proposition so they can incorporate into all of their interactions with patients.
A Member-Owned Company Serving Independent Pharmacies
PBA Health is dedicated to helping independent pharmacies reach their full potential on the buy-side of their business. Founded and owned by pharmacists, PBA Health serves independent pharmacies with group purchasing services, wholesaler contract negotiations, proprietary purchasing tools, and more.
An HDA member, PBA Health operates its own NABP-accredited secondary wholesaler with more than 6,000 SKUs, including brands, generics, narcotics CII-CV, cold-storage products, and over-the-counter (OTC) products — offering the lowest prices in the secondary market.
