You and Your Value Proposition

What is a value proposition? Well, according to sales guru Jill Konrath, it is a “clear statement of the tangible results a customer gets from using your products or services. It speaks to the critical issues a targeted buyer faces as well as the outcomes they’ll realize if they switch from the status quo.”

And who should know better about value propositions than a salesperson? At least, that’s what you’d think. But Ms. Konrath knows that too many sales people spend time talking about their product or service’s features and benefits, when customers actually don’t care about them. In fact, she goes on to say, “ … your product or service is simply a tool. Buyers only care about the results it delivers …Strong value propositions are built around tangible, measurable business outcomes.”

At this end of this post, I’ll provide links to a series of three short articles she has recently written about value propositions and how to make them stronger. (You can tell, by the way, that your value proposition is weak if very few people respond to your voicemails or emails or brush you off quickly.)

In the meantime, here are the takeaways I found most important from this series:

You will need multiple, customized value propositions, depending on who you meet with, the organization you’re targeting, and what you’re selling
The biggest benefit you get from understanding your value proposition is that you strengthen your own belief in what you’re offering
Your biggest competitor is the status quo, because change is hard, and many just don’t want to go there
A strong value proposition includes three elements—business drivers, movement-oriented words, and metrics—and uses them consistently in all communications
To craft a better value proposition, ask your customers about the value delivered by your product or service, listen to what they have to say, and don’t use this occasion as a sales opportunity.

Here are the links to Ms. Konrath’s articles, and check out the YouTube video:

“Is Your Value Proposition Strong Enough?”

“Three Key Components of Value Propositions”

“How to Make Your Value Proposition Stronger”