3 easy tips to build a strong value proposition

Today, I did a strategy workshop with a client that inspired this blog article. Here’s the context:

• They offer a service, not a product;
• They are relatively small in comparison to their direct competitor;
• They don’t operate under the banner of a larger brand and therefore don’t benefit from their associated notoriety;
• They are facing ferocious competition and battling on price.

Building your notoriety in a SME environment is a challenge, especially when you have to work with a limited budget.

Here are 3 easy tips to help you build your value proposition, the basis on which your notoriety will be built:

1 – Think of the client first.

The first step towards building your brand’s notoriety is to truly understand who you will be communicating with: Who are your clients? What are their greatest challenges? What keeps them up at night? What problem are they trying to solve? What are their greatest aspirations? Why did they choose you over the competition? You can gather this information in a number of ways. Here are the ones that we find are most effective:

• Ask your employees across all departments – they are often a great source of untapped client information;
• Ask your clients through a survey (we have an amazing new tool for this exact purpose);
• Do VIP customer interviews using a series of questions (if you want to speed this process up we have tools for you to use).

2 – Focus on you.

Now that you have gathered your client information, forget it! It’s time to focus on you and ask yourself the following questions: What are you core values? How are they lived in your business? What are the typical problems that you solve for your customers? How are you different from the competition?  Review your service offer and rank your products and services according to what is essential to serve your clients.

3 – Find the fit.

Now that you have both sides of the story, review your notes and highlight where there is an overlap between you and the client. The intersection of their needs and your offer is the beginning value proposition. This is what you will strive to communicate in the visual aspects of your brand along with your messaging.

Remember: It may seem counter intuitive to take time away from the business to grow the business but setting time aside to ponder these questions will help you achieve the notoriety goals that you aspire to.

Always a pleasure to help you make your mark!