Is Your Unique Value Proposition, Unique In Your Customer's Eyes?

Pretty powerful combination you might think.product. Use the checklist below as a prompter.
What would Brian Boru have done faced withService
10th century marauders wielding 20th centuryPrice
weapons? He would not have had a hope! That isUniqueness
what dynamic imagery does for advertising andRevenue generation
marketing. It provides an unstoppable combinationCost reduction
that is guaranteed to get results. So what'sCompliance with regulations
missing?Fulfilling a desire
To be honest, without ammunition, the VikingsBetter way of doing things
actually would not have had a hope. For a start,Proximity to customers
Brian and his gang of Celts, would not haveAdherence to standards
known what the machine guns were, andNow map each of these benefits to your
secondly, the Vikings would not have had anycustomer's needs, wants and pains.
other weapons to combat the fury of the zealousStep 3 - Know your target market
Celts.So you know what your customers want and
It is vital that you have ammunition for yourwhat you can give them. But who are your
machine guns! Your Value Proposition, expressedcustomers? There are many ways of finding out
in terms that your customer understands, is whatyour target market, indeed books have been
gives your marketing the firepower required towritten on it. The best way is to use data that is
get results. Without the right message, no-one willavailable to you, such as;
understand what you really stand for!Existing customer Data
Creating your Value PropositionMarket research you may have conducted or
So how do you go about creating your uniquebought
value proposition? First it is vital that you areWho Influences, decides on and pays for your
disciplined, and you have to hand the followingproduct. You need to target your message
material.specifically to the right people. And different
A list of all customerspeople within the decision process will want
For each customer you need to identifydifferent things!
What they boughtFinally, you need to determine on how to extend
A testimonial and/or value statement from thoseyour target market, from your existing customer
customersbase, using factors such as;
Where they are geographically basedLocation
The industry they are inIndustry
Their size and turnoverProducts
A list of your competitors and information onCustomer Profile
their products.Step 4 - Know your competitors
An industry specific magazine that your bestThere is an old saying that goes - "keeps your
customers would readfriends close and your enemy closer" It is
A print-out of the Mission statement of your bestimperative that you know precisely what your
5 customerscompetitors are offering. You need to know what
We run ½ day and full day workshops onthey offer, at what price, to whom and where.
this, using tried and tested questions to get youYou also should understand what it is about your
really thinking about what your offerings provide.competitors that your prospects like, and what
However you can try do this yourself, if youthey dislike.
budget is limited.Once you understand this, then you need to
Which ever category you fall in, I suggest, that toclearly differentiate, your top customer aligned
avoid firing blanks with your marketing budget,benefits, from your competitor's benefits.
you undertake this exercise, and start getting theStep 5 - Create a value statement for your top 3
results you deserve.benefits including;
Step 1 - Know your customersThis can be the most difficult step, since many
To really be able to market successfully, and bypeople find it difficult to put their thoughts into
successfully, I mean getting qualified leads thatwords. With a clearly defined Customer Value
turn into sales, you must relate to your prospects.Proposition Statement, your prospects will be able
If you already have customers, then they mustto clearly identify the benefits, in their terms, to
like what you are offering. But what was it aboutenable them to make a buying decision.
your offering that made them buy?If you feel you can do this, you should be sure to
Ask them!include the following 4 items in the Value
You need to be able to identify theirStatement for each of your offerings and niches.
Needs - what need in their business or life areTime to benefit
you fulfilling?Value of benefit
Wants - What do they really want, because a lotBenefit
of purchases are based on wants not needs - ITarget Audience
mean who NEEDS a Porsche?Conclusion
Pains - what pain do they currently have thatOnce you have your Value Proposition, clearly
ownership of your product will ease or cure?defined in a couple of concise statements, you
Because when you know those, then you knowcan then start looking at your marketing plan and
WHY they bought, and subsequently, it will beBudget. Quite simply, in my opinion, spending any
easier to ensure you have more customers.money on marketing, without the correct
Step 2 - Know your productmessage, is like attacking the high king of Ireland
Successful business people all share a commonwithout viable weapons.
trait; they are passionate about their offeringsWe regularly run Value Proposition Workshops,
and they are persistent in ensuring it successful.both with industry bodies and on a bespoke basis.
So you know your product inside out. Agreed,At the end of the workshop, you will have the
you may not see it precisely as your customermessages that when used in promoting your
sees it, but you do know it!product correctly, will generate floods of qualified
So you must identify the top ten benefits of yourleads.