If you want to inform your potential clients about the benefits that your company offers, you should think about your value proposition and look for it to be unique. Your proposal can refer to the entire organization, a specific product or service, or customer accounts. value proposition example

This article will help you understand what a value proposition is, how it helps your brand, and how to create it.

Let’s start with the basics …

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a statement that clearly and convincingly describes the unique way your business meets customer needs .

It is an essential tool for your entire team to focus on what matters most and will serve as the basis for your marketing campaigns and sales pitches.

However, many forget to have a value proposition. Either they adopt a too vague or too general one.

Companies often mix their value proposition with other elements in a marketing strategy. To clear things up, let’s talk about what a value proposition isn’t. value proposition example

A value proposition is not

• An incentive . Although a value proposition explains the benefits of your product to customers, it does not encourage them to make an immediate purchase.
• A slogan . Ad snippets help consumers identify brands, but they don’t express the value a business brings.
• Positioning statement . Although these statements highlight the benefits of a product to a specific person or audience segment, they are not the same as value propositions. 

Why is it important to have a value proposition?

A value proposition helps you define issues such as your marketing strategy and your positioning.

The main task of a unique proposal is to explain to your clients why working with you or using your product is the best decision . Without it, your customers are unlikely to understand how your product meets their needs and why they should choose you as a company.

Another function of a value proposition is to differentiate your brand from the competition. Even if you offer standard products, you have to make them stand out from a large number of similar items.

Therefore, a unique value proposition makes your brand unique and attractive to customers. 

Advantages of a value proposition

A value proposition is something that defines your business, your promotion strategy and your success in the market. These are the main advantages that a well-designed value proposition can bring to your company:

• Clear communication. A value proposition helps you make a good offer to your customers. Clarity attracts more potential customers to the higher stages of the sales funnel and allows you to increase your income.
• Higher quality of potential customers . A value proposition helps you match the needs of your potential buyers with the problems your product solves. value proposition example
• Enhance engagement. When your customers’ values ​​match those of your company, it increases customer engagement with your brand, products, and services.
• You convey a unified message. A value proposition clarifies your offering and utility for both customers and employees. Thus, you can be sure that everyone transmits the same values ​​through the different communication channels with the customer .

Clear communication, high-quality leads, high engagement rates, and message consistency have a huge impact on your business and financial metrics.

Over time, you will see an increase in customer satisfaction , efficiency of operations, return on investment, etc. However, not all value propositions can work like magic for your business.

What must a value proposition look like to be effective?

To make your value proposition effective, adhere to the following criteria.

• Clarity. A value proposition must be clear and easy to understand.
• Brevity . A potential client should spend only a few seconds understanding your proposal.
• Advantage . A good value proposition differentiates your company from the competition.
• Concrete . A value proposition must refer to concrete results that a customer will obtain from your product or service.
• Credibility . Make sure you can deliver the value you have promised. Otherwise, your business will be left half-baked, as customers quickly recognize the deception and warn others.

How to create a value proposition

These are some points that you should consider to create your own value proposition:

• Focus on your brand identity

If your company’s mission statement is poorly written, you are unlikely to create a value proposition that works. To find and articulate your brand identity, answer the following questions value proposition example

• Why does your brand exist?
• What do you expect in the future?
• How are you going to create that future?
• What principles underlie your behavior?

• Identify the advantages of your product

Brainstorm all the benefits your product offers. You can mention the specific characteristics that your product has, as well as the emotions it provokes in your customers.

Don’t worry if the list is too long: you will already evaluate the benefits and cross out the unnecessary later. Once the list is ready, try to figure out what value each of the benefits brings to the customer. It can be time or cost savings, help to lead the lifestyle they want, etc.

• Relate your advantages to the customer’s problems

To make sure your value proposition hits your goal, make a list of problems your potential customers are facing. Take only those that are related to your product. 

To get a clearer picture, create your buyer persona , do your research: browse social media and online forums where your potential buyers hang out and identify the issues they discuss. You can also conduct surveys with your current customers.

Prioritize the importance of consumer issues and match them with your benefits. This step is essential to properly communicate your value proposition. Keep in mind that customers want to hear how your product solves their problems, not a list of features. v

• Do a competitor research

The value proposition implies differentiation from competitors. So, after you’ve created a list of your product’s benefits and linked it to customer issues, conduct a competitor research . Take a look at what they offer to customers and identify their value propositions. This will help you understand how to formulate your proposal in such a way that it outperforms your rivals.

To get it right, focus on the differences between what your rivals propose and what you can offer. 

• Create your unique value proposition

By now, you already know the identity of your brand, the advantages of the product and its value to potential customers, as well as the differences between you and your competitors. With this information in hand, frame your value proposition in a short sentence. Try various elements and see how they work together.

To test your value propositions, you can launch multiple versions of landing pages or perform an online a / b test . Ask your clients the following questions:

• What do you think of the variations?
• Why do you prefer some options to others?
• Do you believe in our offer?
• How do you understand our proposal?

Testing your value proposition helps you understand what phrases resonate with your audience. In addition, thanks to the tests you can refine these phrases to achieve better results. value proposition example

Examples of unique value propositions

Do you remember taxi rides before Uber? Well, sometimes it was difficult: you had to have some money on hand, go out and hope to find a car. Not to mention that the experience was not always pleasant, as you could end up waiting too long, having to get into a dirty vehicle, etc.

Uber revolutionized the taxi market by offering a comfortable and enjoyable way to request a ride. The brand reflects these values ​​- simplicity and comfort – on its home page with the proposition “Always the ride you want.” The website reinforces that statement with the phrase “Request a ride, hop on and go.” Yes, it is that easy.

Another example is Canva, an online graphics service for editing, creating, and distributing images. The market offers many similar tools, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom. However, they require training, which is not always an option. In this context, Canva distinguishes itself by offering the ability to design any graphic content without the need to learn new skills or hire a designer.

Canva neatly articulates the value it offers to customers: the home page offers you to “design anything”. They claim that anyone can be a designer and stress that using Canva is not only easy, but also free. value proposition example

conclusion

A value proposition is one of the key elements of a company’s positioning, it is an essential tool to focus on what matters most, and most importantly, it will serve as the basis for your marketing campaigns and sales pitches.

Always remember that your value proposition must be clear, specific, differentiated and instantly understood by anyone. To be credible, it must be in line with what the company can offer. The “promise” must be kept.