Value propositions

#115 - Aug.2024

Some years ago I worked in a consulting firm designing tech proposals for digital transformation. 

After crafting 100+ value propositions for a wide range of companies and industries I started to see a pattern. 

I noticed that at the core of any value proposition, there are people. People make decisions on behalf of companies in search of trustworthy connections to do business with.

Trust was at the baseline of all these value proposition. 

Customers trust you when they feel heard. They trust you when you can explain in your own words what their problems are, and when you empathize with their challenges.

In many of the successful value propositions, I see the drivers of the so-called “Trust Triangle”: being authentic (showing your real you), being logical (your reasoning makes sense), and having empathy (you care about).  

Simple messages are powerful.

Often customers perceive value intuitively. People will argue that all decisions are based on data. However, the truth is that many customers make their decisions fast during early interactions. Make those interactions count. 

Finally, the perception of value is relative to alternatives. The best value propositions I crafted were the ones where I truly demonstrated our uniqueness. And I’m not talking about having a unique technology or a singular way of solving a problem. I’m talking about a deeper answer to “Why us?” which relates to values we share and demonstrates that, while you don’t know everything up front, you are open to walking the journey together. 

Crafting a good value proposition is, in the end, an art of connecting with people.