How to Write a Compelling Value Proposition

Your company’s value proposition is a description of what sets it apart from competitors. Why should people buy your product or take advantage of your service rather than purchasing it from a competitor? Your value proposition should answer that question, and if it can do so emphatically, you’ll be more likely to conquer the market. Keep reading to get some ideas about how to write a winning value proposition.

What Should Be Included in Your Value Proposition?

Ideally, a value proposition should explain how your product or service solves a problem that your target audience faces or makes their situation better. Secondly, the value proposition should speak to why customers should rely on you to provide the product or service rather than going to a competitor. Finally, make sure your value proposition addresses specific benefits you can offer, because that quantifies your value.

Speak in a Language Your Customers Understand

It can be very tempting to get caught up in glossy marketing language when writing your value proposition. Unfortunately though, that’s just the thing that can cause your customers to become distant before you’ve had a chance to connect with them.

You need to use a language that’s relatable. Doing that sometimes involves going on social media or conducting customer surveys to understand more about the kinds of questions your audience already has about what you’re trying to sell. A poorly-crafted value proposition could create more questions than it answers, but one that’s written well should ease doubts and inspire confidence.

Salesforce gets to the heart of what customers want with a value proposition that reads “No Hardware. No Software. No Boundaries.” Accompanying subtext explains more about the marketing cloud that caters to the social generation.

Break It Down

Sometimes people get misled into thinking a value proposition is the same as a slogan or catch phrase. Actually though, the value proposition may be much more in-depth than a single sentence, especially if it is more powerful with subtext.

There’s no exact formula for writing your value proposition, but start by making a headline that identifies the end benefit you offer. Then, expand upon that with two to three sentences about what you offer and whom could benefit from it. Finally, write a few bullet points that highlight the main benefits or features.

iTunes succeeded in writing a great value proposition to herald the release of iTunes 11. The headline, “You’ve never been so easily entertained,” suggested users could enjoy entertainment at their fingertips. Complementing text explained how this version of the software was completely redesigned for better browsing and library organization, and drove the points home by telling users their media collections could be played from anywhere.

Clarity Is Key

When conveying what your product is, who needs it and why, try to get those points across as clearly as possible. If you’re struggling to communicate concisely after writing a few attempts at a value proposition, it might either be time to take a different approach, or just give yourself a little break.

CJ Pony Parts, a Mustang auto parts retailer, does a great job of using clear language with its value proposition, “Mustang Parts for the Mustang Enthusiast.” It leaves no doubt about what’s being sold, and who the target audience is.

Inspire Belief in Your Audience

It’s not always enough just to discuss what sets you apart from other companies in the marketplace. Customers also have to believe that you’re the best. A sense of belief is a tough thing to create, but you may have better luck than you expect by using statistics or testimonials to add weight to your claims. Just make sure the information you use is truly valuable and not merely adding bulk to the words.

Writing a powerful value proposition is not an easy task, but it’s a worthwhile one. After you’ve written one you feel confident about, consider testing it out with a small group of potential customers by doing a market research study. That way you’ll see if what you’ve written gets interpreted in the way you intend.