I’m a copywriter who specializes in marcom, so as you might imagine, I’m often up to my ears in marketing jargon. Until I saw a short video by Jill Konrath, I was not inclined to give the term “value proposition” very much thought. Ms. Konrath, though, focuses your attention on it by defining referring to is as the “clear winner for piquing prospects’ interest in your offering” when compared to an elevator speech and a unique selling proposition.
Essentially, the value of a value proposition is that it can get prospects interested in changing the status quo, which is fairly difficult for most humans to do. A value proposition describes a desirable outcome and stimulates curiosity—the “I need to know more” reaction. Ms. Konrath points out that many salespeople may not think their offering is that unique and struggle with crafting a unique selling proposition, which is competitively focused. A value proposition gets them off the hook.
Think of it like dating. Unless you’re annoyingly self-aggrandizing, you probably wouldn’t say “Date me, because I’m so much better looking and smart than anyone else on the market.” Instead, you might say, “Gosh, if you go out with me, I’ll put a lot of effort into making sure we have a great time together.” Now, that’s a value proposition.
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