how to write a business value proposition

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How to Create an Effective Value Proposition

• 28 Jul 2020

Starting a business comes with many unknowns, but the value of your brand shouldn't be one of them.

Before launching a venture, all entrepreneurs should determine what market need their product or service fulfills, and what separates their offering from other available options. Without this differentiation and definition of opportunity, a new business isn't likely to succeed.

To communicate the need your product fills and its differentiating factors, you need to create an effective value proposition.

Before diving into how to craft yours, here's a look at what a value proposition is and why it's important for your business.

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What Is a Value Proposition?

A value proposition is a statement that conveys what a brand does and how it differs from competitors. It's typically developed as part of a broader marketing strategy and no more than a few sentences long. The initial proposition can be bolstered with statistics and facts that prove the brand's stated value.

Having a value proposition is important because it clearly and concisely communicates what customers can gain from selecting your brand over that of your competitors. This statement can be used in several ways, including:

• On your company's website to help convert potential leads into customers
• When pitching your company to investors
• As an answer to the question, "So, what exactly does your company do?"

As an entrepreneur, it's your job to be your organization's number one advocate and garner the support of others. A short, clear value proposition can stick in the minds of investors, potential customers, friends, and relatives, ensuring your brand's value isn't lost in translation.

To begin crafting your brand's value proposition, start with an understanding of the jobs to be done theory.

Related: 6 Questions to Ask Before Starting a Business

Understanding Your Customers' Jobs to Be Done

The jobs to be done theory was developed by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen. It asserts that customers "hire" products and services to get "jobs" done, rather than purchasing them based on their attributes and buying behaviors.

"A 'job to be done' is a problem or opportunity that somebody is trying to solve," Christensen says in the online course Disruptive Strategy . "We call it a 'job' because it needs to be done, and we hire people or products to get jobs done."

One example of a successful brand that's used this framework is Warby Parker , founded in 2010 by Neil Blumenthal, Dave Gilboa, Andy Hunt, and Jeff Raider.

The eyeglass company got its start when one of the founders lost his glasses on a backpacking trip. Unable to swing the steep price of a new pair, he spent the next semester " squinting and complaining " to three of his friends, who realized they had been in similar situations.

"We were amazed at how hard it was to find a pair of great frames that didn't leave our wallets bare," Warby Parker states on its website . "Every idea starts with a problem. Ours was simple: Glasses are too expensive."

This statement describes the job to be done discovered by Warby Parker's founders. They realized people had a need to purchase affordable eyewear and, after some research, found there weren't many options in the market.

"Understanding that the same company owned LensCrafters and Pearle Vision, Ray-Ban and Oakley, and the licenses for Chanel and Prada prescription frames and sunglasses—all of a sudden, it made sense to me why glasses were so expensive," Gilboa explains in an interview with Forbes .

The team decided to take things one step further by adding a social justice component to their business model. For every pair of eyeglasses purchased, Warby Parker donates a pair to someone in need.

"There's nothing complicated about it," the company states on its website . "Good eyewear, good outcome."

This satisfies another job to be done: providing customers with a convenient means of helping others. This dual-pronged jobs to be done framework proved to be a success, as the team hit its first-year sales goal in just three weeks .

Warby Parker continues to build its value around jobs to be done and can expect its customers' needs to "purchase affordable eyewear" and "help others in a convenient way" to endure.

"Because a job to be done remains stable over time, it provides a North Star in innovation," Christensen says.

When crafting your brand's value proposition, think about the job to be done it addresses. How does its value center on a persisting need you can fill in a unique way? It's this positioning that can allow your brand to provide the same value for customers as the market advances.

Related: Jobs to Be Done: 4 Real-World Examples

Creating a Value Proposition

You can use the jobs to be done framework as a starting point to craft your brand's value proposition.

Ask yourself:

• What is my brand offering?
• What job does the customer hire my brand to do?
• What companies and products compete with my brand to do this job for the customer?
• What sets my brand apart from those competitors?

For example, Warby Parker's founders could answer these questions as follows:

• Warby Parker offers affordable designer eyewear, including contacts.
• Customers hire Warby Parker to provide high-quality eyewear at affordable prices and give back to the community in a convenient way.
• All other eyewear brands compete with Warby Parker.
• Warby Parker's commitment to giving back to the community and its affordable prices set it apart from competitors.

Next, summarize your points in a clear, concise value proposition. Continuing the example above, Warby Parker's value proposition, as published on its home page , is:

“Buying eyewear should leave you happy and good-looking, with money in your pocket. Glasses, sunglasses, and contacts—we’ve got your eyes covered.”

This value proposition is reinforced throughout the company's website, along with its stated commitment to social justice :

“Warby Parker was founded with a rebellious spirit and a lofty objective: to offer designer eyewear at a revolutionary price, while leading the way for socially conscious businesses.”

To ensure your value proposition is effective, consider running it by a few people who are unfamiliar with your business. If confusion arises, edit your statement to address those points.

Once you have a value proposition you're proud of, make it known. Publish it on your website, incorporate it into your marketing materials, and memorize it for sharing during networking events, pitch opportunities, and dinner conversations.

Related: 3 Disruptive Strategy Skills For Entrepreneurs and Business Leaders

Setting Yourself Up for Success

By positioning your brand as a solution to a job to be done, you can set your company up for success. Creating a value proposition is a reflective exercise that prompts you to take stock of the need your brand fills, who your competitors are, and how you provide a different experience from other products and services.

Condensing these reflections into a succinct value proposition can enable you to convert leads into customers, effectively pitch to investors, and communicate the value of your brand at scale.

Do you want to craft winning, innovative strategies? Explore Disruptive Strategy , one of our online entrepreneurship and innovation courses . If you aren't sure which course is the right fit, download our free course flowchart to determine which best aligns with your goals.

About the Author

How to Write a Value Proposition (+ 6 Modern Examples)

Leaders often work tirelessly to improve their company’s product or service, thinking that it’s the most valuable role they can play. But for your business to “click” with your target audience, you need to stay just as close to your customers as you do to your offerings.

The details of customers’ needs and wants should be just as familiar to you as the features of your product or the details of the service that you provide. A value proposition serves as the bridge between these two aspects of your work. It’s a mantra that unites the two halves of the whole business.

We’ve demystified the nuts and bolts of how to write a value proposition, complete with examples, so you can ensure that all your hard work manifests in value for your customers every day.

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What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a simple statement that summarizes why a customer would choose your product or service. It communicates the clearest benefit that customers receive by giving you their business. Every value proposition should speak to a customer’s challenge and make the case for your company as the problem-solver.

A great value proposition may highlight what makes you different from competitors, but it should always focus on how customers define your value . Likewise, conversations around brand strategy and taglines should stem from a value proposition, but they aren’t one and the same.

You may be wondering: Why bother learning how to write a value proposition? It’s like investing in the foundation of a house. You may not see the foundation, but everything you do see — and the long-term safety and security of your home — rest on it having a strong place to start from.

How to write a value proposition: 3 options

If you’re intentional about creating a value proposition, it can help clarify the way forward for your entire company. However, including too many voices early on can water down your intent in an effort to make everyone happy, and, ironically, the results won’t work for anyone.

Rather than get everyone involved, start with a small group of people (no more than three) who can set aside the time to hone a few compelling options.

Here’s how to write a value proposition three different ways, from complex mapping to a simple formula. Start with one or try all three in a workshop to refine your ideas with greater precision.

1. Map out a value proposition canvas

Peter Thomson’s value proposition canvas explores the different components of a company that contribute to a strong value proposition. Thomson believes that a process like this can help team members get to “minimum viable clarity,” which can be whittled down into a one-sentence value proposition.

Thomson calls a value proposition “a crunch point between business strategy and brand strategy,” and he created a model that syncs the two strategies. There are seven areas to explore, each of which takes up a section in the map:

When you explore each section of the canvas, do so from the perspective of the customer. While writing out the benefits of your product, imagine how it increases pleasure or decreases pain for the person using it. Approach the features and the experience that way, too: How do the features make the customer’s life better? How does the product experience make a customer feel?

Next, you’ll dive into the customer’s wants (emotional drivers), needs (rational motivators), and fears (undesired outcomes). Remember that even when consumers are making purchases or investments on behalf of a company, they can still be guided by emotions .

In particular, try to understand whether a product or service affects a buyer’s perceived likelihood of failure, their anxiety, or their reputation at work. You can use Bain & Company’s 30 “ Elements of Value ” and its B2B counterparts as a roadmap for articulating the ways your company gives the customer value within this context.

2. Ask Harvard Business School’s essential questions

Harvard Business School’s Institute for Strategy & Competitiveness simplified how to write a value proposition with just three prompts. Just as Thomson does, Harvard argues that a value proposition serves as the connection between a company and its customers:

“While the value chain focuses internally on operations, the value proposition is the element of strategy that looks outward at customers, at the demand side of the business. Strategy is fundamentally integrative, bringing the demand and supply sides together.”

To create an integrated, cohesive value proposition, start by brainstorming as a group around these three questions:

Which customers are you going to serve?

Which needs are you going to meet?

What relative price will provide acceptable value for customers and acceptable profitability for the customer?

Depending on your product and service, it may make sense for you to start with the first or second question in the list. Together, all three create a triangle that can lead you closer to a succinct value proposition.

As you move through the exercise, consider which one is the primary “leg” of the triangle. For example, is the greatest value that you offer in cost savings? Or is it that you’re offering a better product or experience at a premium?

Also, think about whether your company is expanding the market by meeting a need that hasn’t been realized. Harvard’s experts use a great example — the iPad. Apple created a new demand that hadn’t existed before the technology hit the market.

3. Try the Steve Blank formula to distill your insights

Steve Blank , a former Google employee who runs the Lean Startup Circle , noticed that many startup founders emphasize features instead of benefits when they try to transform more detailed insights into a succinct value proposition. Instead of summarizing how a company offers value to customers, leaders often get stuck in the weeds.

Blank saw the need for a simple formula to transform a brainstorm into a simple sentence. We love distilling more detailed insights with his method:

We help (X) do (Y) by doing (Z).

Use Blank's intuitive template to come up with your own value proposition. Remember that the first thing that comes to mind may be the best. Your gut instinct could be spot on here, and that’s what makes this simple solution so valuable.

Here’s my value proposition for my copywriting business, for example:

I help marketing teams to resonate with their target audiences by communicating with clarity and compassion.

Your local coffee shop may have a value proposition that’s similar to this one:

We help our local customers to feel good and do good by fueling them up with artisanal coffee in a community-focused space.

Although you may have brainstormed as a group with the other two methods, this time, ask team members to complete this exercise individually. Comparing and contrasting answers afterward can yield helpful insights about each person’s priorities.

Most importantly, as you draft your value proposition, use the language your customers use. At Help Scout, we say things like “emails slipping through the cracks,” because that’s what our customers say about the problem we help solve. If you don’t write your value proposition the way your customers would write it, there will be a big gap between what you say and what they hear. When you use their voice, you cut through the noise.

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6 value proposition examples

Beyond grasping how to write a value proposition, it helps to see how a strong statement influences and infuses a company’s strategy. Because value proposition examples aren’t necessarily the same thing as brand copywriting , we don’t have access to the exact words a company uses internally.

However, if a company does a great job situating their value proposition within the market, you can tell because their message resonates far and wide. Here are six modern value proposition examples that will help you to understand how value propositions can help you break into a market or create a new one.

Slack is a collaboration tool for teams with a simple, easy-to-use platform and instant message capability. The platform is equally beloved by enterprise teams and scrappy startups for its ability to keep work flowing, no matter the everyday barriers or the complexity of a project.

Everything that the company does hinges on their value proposition: Slack saves time by tearing down communication and systems silos. Their product aspires to take the pain out of working together online — and maybe even make it fun. That’s something no other product has tried or claimed to do.

Because they’ve built such a powerful value proposition, Slack is perceived as an enjoyable alternative to the dreaded email inbox and other tools. Their approach works. Slack is the fastest-growing SaaS startup ever, and it’s used by 77% of Fortune 500 companies.

Despite this legendary growth, Slack famously said it was a business with a pared-down sales team, which is only possible because of the foundation they set with a formidable value proposition.

2. Bloom & Wild

Bloom & Wild is an online flower delivery company that simplifies the process of ordering and receiving luxury flowers. Aron Gelbard, founder and CEO, explained their value proposition in their 2017 funding announcement: “We’re enabling [our customers) to order flowers and gifts from the palm of their hand with better product, designs and payments.”

Bloom & Wild makes it possible for customers to deliver flowers in under a minute using their smartphone or computer; going from thought to action is almost instantaneous. As Gelbard says, “Our mission is to make sending and receiving flowers a joy, using technology to turn emotions into an action in the simplest and most beautiful way possible.”

The flowers are just as simple to receive. They’re packed in flat boxes so they can be delivered through letterboxes (or mailboxes) so there’s no need for someone to be on hand to receive them, and they’re sent as closed flower buds for a longer bloom.

While many companies deliver flowers, Bloom & Wild differentiates itself by offering a smooth customer experience for everyone, as well as competitive pricing, with significantly cheaper blooms than average.

Bloom & Wild communicates its value proposition so clearly that its customers perform much of the hard task of marketing for them through word-of-mouth referrals.

When Airbnb began to disrupt the hospitality industry, it needed to market to two separate groups: guests who wanted a place to stay and hosts who wanted to rent out their spaces. Their two-in-one value proposition: Travelers benefit from a truly local experience and hosts benefit from extra income.

In their own words, “Airbnb exists to create a world where anyone can belong anywhere, providing healthy travel that is local, authentic, diverse, inclusive and sustainable.”

Their rooms often have more character than hotels, and they’re usually located in neighborhoods people live in. Guests learn from local knowledge shared by hosts and feel at home wherever they go. These different sources of value wrap together into Airbnb’s tagline: Belong Anywhere.

As a business goes through different stages of growth, its value proposition is likely to change, too. Originally marketed as much cheaper than staying in a hotel, Airbnb has now become an experience-driven, mainstream staple with a premium wing called “Airbnb Plus,” with its own value proposition.

4. Fjällräven

The classic Swedish outdoor clothing and equipment company Fjällräven was founded by Åke Nordin in 1960. He designed functional (and warm) products for professional researchers taking expeditions into northern Scandinavia.

Now, the 60-year-old brand is experiencing a resurgence amongst younger generations across Europe and North America. Their core proposition is that they sell high-quality, sustainably made products that balance form and function. Yes, customers look great wearing their backpacks and they can still hike up a mountain in the middle of winter.

Their commitment to sustainable business practices appeals to the same conscious consumers who value the outdoors, which fortifies their value proposition. Fjällräven manufactures many of its own products using its own G-1000 material, as well as its own Greenland Wax, contributing to its value proposition of offering quality and durability.

Because they “craft products for a lifetime of memories,” customers are more than willing to pay their premium prices.

5. Juniper Print Shop

When Jenny Komenda launched her first blog, Little Green Notebook, in 2007, she was a young designer sharing her DIY projects with the world. An entrepreneur at heart, Komenda evolved her skillset and online following into another award-winning blog, Juniper Home, and its beloved counterpart, Juniper Print Shop .

Komenda built a cohesive brand that championed affordable design and spoke to a key value proposition that motivated her customers: helping non-designers create a beautiful home without breaking the bank.

Her content answers this question in thousands of different ways, and the new arm of her business offers a simple fix for finding affordable art — one of the most difficult challenges along the way. She launched a print shop featuring the work of women artists and photographers with simple digital downloads and physical prints that are cost-effective and easy to install.

Juniper’s value proposition comes to life in the details of the print shop — from links to affordable IKEA frames — and Jenny’s one-of-a-kind suggestions (buy a vintage frame, invest in a custom mat).

6. Found My Animal

Found My Animal is a company for rescue dogs and their owners. In 2006, Bethany Obrecht and Anna Conway met by coincidence — they both had rescue dogs named Walter, and they quickly became friends.

Their shared interest in crafts (and a fisherman relative) led the two dog moms to design and create leashes from nautical rope that withstand hundreds of pounds of pull. Each leash has a brass tag with the word “FOUND” written on it in simple font.

The company has since expanded their product lines to include other dog accessories and supplies like dog beds, totes, and toys.

Found My Animal’s value proposition is simple: Support a company that donates a portion of its profits to animal rescue groups by outfitting your own rescue in quality products. The company has given money (and leashes) to over 64 nonprofit organizations that help abandoned or neglected pets, so customers know their purchases are making a difference.

This value proposition is baked into every aspect of Found My Animal, especially their marketing. Their team features rescue dogs in need of homes front and center on their website and their social media accounts. Plus, their social media tag #foundmyanimal brings awareness to animal adoption.

They even launched The Rescue Orange Project: A buy-one-donate-one leash program. For dog owners who are as devoted to rescuing other pups as they are to their own, buying from this company is a no-brainer.

The best value propositions evolve with your customers

Now that you can answer the question “What is a value proposition?” a few different ways, you’re ready to get to work. Even if you already have a value proposition in place, consider carving out the time to revisit it.

As customers and markets change over time, your company should evolve as well. Rather than make assumptions about your community based on their past needs and buying behaviors, create feedback loops so you’re always in the know.

By listening to customers in real time, you set your company up to evolve its value proposition and meet the needs of your community as it grows.

Like what you see? Share with a friend.

Elizabeth wellington.

Liz writes about business, creativity and making meaningful work. Say hello on Twitter or through her website.

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How To Write A Value Proposition (Template, Examples)

A value proposition conveys the unique benefits of a product or service, directly addressing customer pain points. Here I outline how to write an effective one, with a free template to help.

A value proposition is the key benefit you offer customers. Get it right, and everything else in your marketing strategy falls into place.

Easier said than done, sure, but the challenge is in distilling the core of what you offer into a clear, concise message that doesn't sell your product short or get bogged down with too many details. With the help of a framework, you can write a compelling value proposition that speaks directly to your audience. 

What Is A Value Proposition?

A value proposition is a clear, brief statement that articulates the unique benefits your product or service offers potential customers. It addresses their pain points by clearly communicating how your solution solves them. 

In account-based marketing (ABM) , your value proposition should be tailored to resonate with the key decision-makers within your target account. It enhances ABM campaigns by:

• Providing personalized communication that resonates with key buyers
• Guiding potential customers through a customized ABM funnel
• Aligning clear communication of unique benefits
• Increasing engagement and conversion rates
• Impacting key ABM metrics including engagement, deal size, sales cycles, and return on investment (ROI)

It’s worth noting that there are also a variety of different value proposition types that CMOs can use, each serving a different purpose. These include: 

• Productivity: How your product or service helps users work more efficiently, saving time and resources.
• Profitability: How your solution directly increases revenue or reduces costs.
• Image: How your high-quality product offering enhances the customer's reputation, prestige, or overall brand perception.
• Experience: Emphasizes the exceptional customer experience your product or service provides each of your customer segments . 
• Convenience: Explains how your solution simplifies processes, reduces friction, and makes your customer’s life easier. 

Value proposition vs positioning statement

Although both “value proposition” and “positioning statement” are easily confused, they differ significantly. A value proposition zeroes in on the specific benefits your product or service offers your target audience, while a positioning statement defines how your brand is differentiated in the market. 

For example, a value proposition might read as:

"Our CRM helps sales teams close deals 50% faster."

Alternatively, a positioning statement could be:

"We're the only CRM designed exclusively for SaaS startups."

Value proposition vs mission statement

Your value proposition is an explicit promise of the value you deliver to customers, whereas your mission statement outlines your company's broader purpose and values. 

A value proposition might say:

"Our marketing automation platform helps you convert leads into customers." 

However, a mission statement could be:

"We're on a mission to empower businesses to grow through data-driven marketing."

Value proposition vs USP vs tagline

A value proposition comprehensively communicates the key benefits and unique attributes of your product or service. For example: 

“Our project management solution helps teams deliver projects on time and under budget by streamlining real-time communication and automating workflows.”

Alternatively, a unique selling proposition (USP) is a specific, often provocative, and memorable statement that highlights what sets you apart. It could say something like: 

“The only project management tool that guarantees 100% on-time delivery.” 

A tagline is a short, catchy phrase that embodies your brand promise. For instance:

“Effortless project management for exceptional results.”

How To Write A Good Value Proposition

Writing a compelling value proposition can be done in five steps, starting with uncovering your biggest customer pain points. 

1. Identify target customer pain points

Whether you gather customer data through direct interviews, surveys, or you purchase third-party data based on your ideal customer profile , uncovering specific customer challenges you can directly speak to is the first step. 

As you carry out market research, look for challenges, market trends, frustrations, or 'moments of struggle' your product is built to address. At this stage, analyze the data to find patterns and prioritize the most common, severe pain points your ideal customer deals with. 

Say you sell subscriptions to your product information management platform (PIM). Through your research, you discover your target accounts struggle with a few challenges: 

• Managing product data consistently across multiple sales channels and systems
• Dealing with costly errors and frustrations with manual data entry
• No centralized way to manage the constant product data changes and listing requirements 

Those insights are powerful. Now you can craft a value proposition as targeted content that addresses centralizing product data management, ensuring data parity, and automating data updates across channels. 

2. List the benefits of your product

As you think through your value proposition, don't only go as far as listing your product's best features. As the CMO, you need a vivid picture of the benefits your features deliver. 

Continuing with the PIM example, the benefits you offer may be: 

• Centralizing product data management in one platform
• Ensuring the consistency and accuracy of product information across channels with customizable data fields
• Automating product data syndication and distribution
• Improving data governance and quality control

With your benefits clearly laid out, it becomes easier to uncover the value in those benefits to incorporate into an effective value proposition. 

3. Describe the value in those benefits

Going beyond simply listing features and benefits is an essential step in crafting a strong value proposition. Rather than simply stating, "Our software automates repetitive tasks with our automated data update tools," emphasize the value of the benefits your features offer your ideal customer.

Here’s an example of going beyond the benefits and emphasizing their value to your customer: 

“Deliver exceptional customer experiences, accelerate operational efficiency, and effortlessly scale your retail business with one central source of truth.”

4. Connect the value to the pain points

Once you’ve laid out the value your customers get from your solution, take it one step further by connecting the value to the pain points. 

Here's how you can take the value prop in step three one step further:

"Centralize your product information and secure data accuracy and consistency across all channels with automated product data management that makes it effortless.”

In case you get stuck when you’re connecting value to relevant pain points, an easy way to arrive at a strong value proposition is by using a simple formula: 

We help (X) solve (Y) by doing (Z).

Be sure to map your solution's features directly to the outcomes your customers care about most. Keep in mind businesses only ever make a purchase because of any combination of the following: 

• To increase revenue
• To decrease costs
• To manage risk

Use these as a starting point if you’re stuck on what broader pain point your value proposition should speak to. 

5. Differentiate yourself

Your company’s value proposition needs to highlight the unique aspects of your solution. Do this by thinking through a few specific questions: 

• How does our solution enable customers to gain a competitive advantage in their markets or industries?
• What are the long-term strategic benefits our solution provides that align with our customers' broader business objectives and vision?
• In what ways does our solution help customers enhance their brand reputation , customer loyalty, or market positioning?
• How can we quantify the tangible business impact and ROI our solution delivers, beyond just the immediate benefits?

For example, if your fellow PIM competitors in the retail industry offer a one-size-fits-all solution, emphasize how your product is highly customizable and purpose-built to fit your customers’ existing systems. 

Elements Of A Good Value Proposition

First, let's address a common question:

How long should a value proposition be? 

The sweet spot is typically one to three sentences, or around 25-50 words. Any longer, and you risk losing your audience's attention. Additionally, your value proposition statement should be: 

• Clear: Use simple, straightforward language that your ideal customer understands.
• Relevant: Speak directly to your target audience's needs and pain points.
• Unique: Differentiate yourself from competitors by highlighting your distinctive benefits.
• Measurable: Quantify the value you provide, using specific numbers or percentages when possible.

Identifying the target market

A strong value proposition is built on understanding who benefits most from your product or service. This typically involves researching demographic, psychographic, technographic, and behavioral data that will inform your marketing efforts.  

Determining the value

Beyond benefits and features, understand how your product offering provides value—preferably in a measurable way.  

Communicating the value to customers

Resonating with your target audience's needs and desires means stepping into their shoes to empathize and speak to what they value most. 

Value Proposition Examples

Consider some examples of great real-world value propositions: 

“Slack is the productivity platform that empowers everyone with no-code automation, makes search and knowledge sharing seamless, and keeps teams connected and engaged.”

Value proposition: “ Slack is on a mission to make people's working lives simpler, more pleasant and more productive. It is the productivity platform for customer companies that improves performance by empowering everyone with no-code automation, making search and knowledge sharing seamless, and keeping teams connected and engaged as they move work forward together. As part of Salesforce, Slack is deeply integrated into the Salesforce Customer 360, supercharging productivity across sales, service and marketing teams. To learn more and get started with Slack for free, visit slack.com or connect with us @SlackHQ.”

Why it's powerful: Slack's value proposition emphasizes the platform's ability to streamline work processes and improve team communication by providing a single, centralized space for collaboration. By highlighting the transformative power of their solution, Slack appeals to businesses looking to boost productivity and efficiency.

“Go from idea to done with Dropbox .”

Value proposition: “Save time, collaborate seamlessly, and deliver work faster on a platform that works with your existing tools. Dropbox helps you finalize video, image, and audio projects without the hassle. Plus, edit PDFs, share trackable document links, and get agreements signed quickly—all without leaving Dropbox.”

Why it's powerful: Dropbox's value proposition focuses on the essential benefits their target audience seeks: save time, collaborate, and work faster. Simple, but by addressing these key pain points and emphasizing flexibility, Dropbox positions itself as a reliable solution for businesses prioritizing collaborative, fast work. 

3. Salesforce

“ We’re Salesforce , the Customer Company.”

Value proposition: “From the day we opened our doors, focus on our customers drove our every decision. It fueled our growth and powered our customers' success. We develop the technology, the partnerships, and the communities that help companies connect with customers. So that every company can become a customer company.”

Why it's powerful: Salesforce's value proposition highlights its position as the leading CRM platform and emphasizes the unification of different key business functions. By showcasing the power of a connected, integrated solution, Salesforce appeals to organizations seeking to break down silos and achieve a holistic view of their customers at scale. 

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Templates serve as frameworks that save you resources because you don’t have to start from scratch. It’s no different when you’re shaping your value proposition. 

Download the value proposition template by submitting your email address in the box above. It will help you brainstorm differentiation, product benefits, a value map, and more for a great value proposition that hits the mark. 

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An effective value proposition takes into account customer needs, highlights your company’s competitive advantage, and ultimately makes it easy to understand why your product is worth buying. From there, you can use other tactics like cross selling in marketing to increase overall value.

It’s a step in your marketing strategy you shouldn’t overlook. 

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How to Write a Value Proposition: Step-by-Step Guide + Examples

Eric Melillo

Updated: March 23, 2024

The Importance and Benefits of a Strong Value Proposition:

6 modern examples of effective value propositions:, understanding the key elements of a compelling value proposition:, crafting a value proposition in 5 simple steps:, analyzing successful value propositions: 7 top examples, how to write a killer value proposition: language and structure techniques, reinforcing your value proposition with visuals and strong headlines:, integrating your value proposition into marketing strategies and communications, a/b testing and message testing for optimizing your value proposition, mapping out your value proposition canvas for strategic clarity, mastering the art of writing a compelling value proposition:.

Unlocking the potential of a well-crafted value proposition could transform your business landscape. In this blog post, you’ll learn how to write a value proposition that resonates with your target audience.

This guide is anchored in authoritative insights and expert advice, ensuring you have credible knowledge. Your journey to mastery starts here.

Upon reading this post, you’ll learn to articulate a unique value proposition , a crucial step in distinguishing your business in the marketplace. So, let’s move forward and unravel the steps together.

A powerful value proposition is the secret sauce that sets your product marketing business apart from competitors. It’s the magic ingredient that makes potential customers sit up and take notice of your aspirational messaging. When you have a strong value proposition, it becomes easier to engage with your target audience and convert them into loyal customers by effectively positioning the benefits of your product.

Stand Out from Competitors

In today’s crowded marketplace, positioning your business is crucial for sales and success. To thrive and differentiate yourself from the competition, a good value proposition clearly communicates why your services are unique and how they solve specific customer needs better than anyone else.

Imagine you’re shopping for a new smartphone and evaluating different options based on their product marketing. You come across two options: one with an ordinary value proposition and another with a great value proposition that enhances the customer experience. The first one simply states its features, while the second one highlights how its cutting-edge technology will make your life easier, faster, and more enjoyable. When making a decision, it’s important to consider the ideal customer profile for each option.

Which one would you choose? Most likely, the product marketing with the compelling value proposition because it speaks directly to your desires and needs as a consumer. By crafting a unique value proposition that resonates with your ideal customer profile, you can create an emotional connection that sets your business apart from competitors in the sales industry.

Increase Customer Engagement and Conversion Rates

A strong value proposition not only grabs attention but also keeps potential customers engaged throughout their buyer journey. When people understand the benefits they’ll receive by choosing your product or service over others, they become more interested in what your company has to offer. This can lead to increased sales and help solve the problem of attracting and retaining customers in your business.

Think about it this way: if someone is looking for a solution to their problem in the software business, they want assurance that your product marketing will provide real value. Your value proposition should clearly communicate how your offering meets the needs of your ideal customer profile better than any other option available.

By addressing customer pain points directly in your messaging, you show potential customers that you understand their challenges and have a unique and good value proposition tailored solutions for them. This builds trust and credibility, making it more likely for them to choose your product or service over competitors. Additionally, having a great employee value proposition can also attract top talent to join your company.

Build Trust and Credibility

One of the key benefits of a strong value proposition in product marketing is its ability to build trust and credibility with potential customers. When your company clearly communicates the unique benefits your offering provides, you establish yourself as an authority in your industry. This can help solve the problem of gaining customer confidence in your business.

People are more likely to trust a business that can articulate their unique value proposition and explain why their product or service is a good value proposition. By highlighting the specific benefits and advantages your offering brings, you create a sense of confidence in potential customers that they’re making the right choice. This is important for establishing a great value proposition and building an effective employee value proposition.

For example, let’s say your business is a skincare company. Your value proposition could emphasize how your organic skincare products address the problem of harmful chemicals in conventional products. This clear communication of the unique benefits builds trust with customers who prioritize their health and well-being, fulfilling their need for natural ingredients that nourish the skin.

Analyzing successful companies’ value propositions for inspiration

Successful companies understand the importance of a compelling value proposition in product marketing that sets them apart from their competitors. By analyzing their value propositions, businesses can gain valuable insights and inspiration for crafting their own unique selling points. This is a crucial need for any company.

One business that has mastered the art of a persuasive value proposition is Apple. Their products are known for their sleek design, user-friendly interface, and seamless integration across devices. Apple’s value proposition focuses on delivering innovative technology that enhances people’s lives. They emphasize the benefits customers will experience by using their products rather than simply listing product features. Apple is a business that understands the need for delivering innovative technology to enhance people’s lives.

Another example comes from the business and e-commerce company Amazon. Their value proposition revolves around convenience and an extensive selection of products that meet the needs of millions of consumers worldwide. With fast shipping options and easy returns, Amazon has positioned itself as the go-to online marketplace for consumers who need a reliable and efficient shopping experience.

One standout example is Salesforce. Their company’s value proposition centers around helping businesses manage customer relationships effectively through their cloud-based CRM software. Salesforce highlights how their solution can streamline sales processes, increase productivity, and drive revenue growth for large organizations in need.

By examining these examples and others like them, we can identify common elements in effective value propositions for businesses across various industries. These companies focus on addressing customer pain points and offering solutions that differentiate them from similar products or services in the market. This is what every business needs to succeed.

Highlighting unique selling points in various industries (e.g., technology, e-commerce)

Value propositions are not limited to a specific industry; they play a crucial role in different sectors such as technology and e-commerce. Let’s explore some unique selling points within these industries to understand how effective value propositions resonate with target audiences in the product marketing business.

In the technology sector, Microsoft is a standout company with its Office 365 suite. Their value proposition emphasizes collaboration, productivity, and accessibility across devices. By highlighting features like real-time document editing and seamless file sharing, Microsoft appeals to both individuals and businesses in need of efficient and user-friendly software solutions.

Moving to the e-commerce industry, we have the example of Shopify, a company that specializes in product marketing. Their value proposition revolves around empowering entrepreneurs to build and grow their online businesses. With easy-to-use tools, customizable themes, and integrated payment options, Shopify provides a comprehensive platform that simplifies the process of setting up an online store. Entrepreneurs in need of a reliable product marketing company can turn to Shopify for their e-commerce needs.

These examples demonstrate how effective value propositions in product marketing and e-commerce focus on addressing specific needs and pain points within their target markets. By highlighting unique selling points that resonate with their audiences, these companies attract customers looking for business solutions tailored to their requirements.

Demonstrating how effective value propositions resonate with target audiences

The success of a value proposition lies in its ability to resonate with the target audience. Let’s delve deeper into how effective value propositions in product marketing connect with customers on an emotional level and drive them towards making a purchase or taking action. In the business world, companies need compelling value propositions to attract customers.

When Subaru introduced its “Love” campaign, they tapped into the emotions of their target audience – families who prioritize safety and adventure. Subaru’s value proposition in product marketing highlights features such as all-wheel drive capability and advanced safety systems while emphasizing their commitment to family values. By aligning their messaging with what matters most to their customers, Subaru has built a loyal following that sees them as more than just another car manufacturer. This has been crucial for their business growth and success.

Similarly, Dollar Shave Club disrupted the shaving industry by offering high-quality razors at affordable prices through a subscription model. Their humorous and relatable marketing campaigns resonated with consumers tired of overpriced razor cartridges. The business’s value proposition focuses on affordability, convenience, and quality products without compromising on performance, making it a successful company in the industry.

These examples illustrate how effective value propositions in product marketing leverage emotional connections to create stronger bonds between brands and consumers. By understanding their target audience’s desires, fears, or aspirations in the business world, companies can craft compelling messages that speak directly to those needs.

Crafting an effective value proposition is crucial for any business in the field of product marketing looking to differentiate itself from competitors and capture the attention of its target audience. By understanding the key elements that make up a compelling value proposition, businesses in product marketing can create a statement that resonates with their customers and drives them to take action.

Identify Your Audience’s Needs, Desires, and Pain Points

To create a powerful value proposition for your business, it is essential to have deep insights into your target audience. Understanding their needs, desires, and pain points allows you to tailor your message specifically to address their concerns. Conduct thorough market research and gather data on your audience’s buying behaviors to gain valuable insights for your business.

By identifying what motivates your audience and what challenges they face, you can position your product or service as the solution they are seeking. For example, if you are targeting busy professionals who struggle with time management, emphasize how your offering saves them time and simplifies their lives. This is a great way to showcase your unique value proposition and demonstrate your customer value proposition. Here’s a sample value proposition: “Our product helps busy professionals save time and simplify their lives.” Check out these value proposition examples for inspiration.

Craft a Clear and Concise Statement That Communicates Unique Benefits

Once you have gathered insights about your audience, it’s time to craft a clear and concise value proposition statement that effectively communicates the unique benefits of your product or service. Keep in mind that simplicity is key here – avoid using technical jargon or complex language that might confuse potential customers.

Your value proposition should clearly state what sets you apart from competitors while highlighting the specific benefits customers will receive by choosing your offering. Focus on the outcomes or results they can expect rather than just listing features. Consider using bullet lists to highlight these benefits for easy readability.

For instance, instead of saying “Our software has advanced analytics capabilities,” emphasize how “Our software helps businesses make data-driven decisions faster by providing real-time insights, enhancing the customer value proposition. Try our sample value proposition today.”

Incorporate Emotional Appeal to Create an Impactful Value Proposition

In addition to addressing practical needs and benefits, incorporating emotional appeal into your value proposition can significantly impact its effectiveness. People make purchasing decisions based on both logic and emotion, so appealing to their emotions can create a stronger connection with your audience.

Consider the emotional desires or aspirations that your customer value proposition fulfills. Does it provide a sense of security, happiness, or success? Use language that evokes these emotions and paints a vivid picture of how your offering can positively impact their lives.

For example, if you are selling eco-friendly cleaning products, you could emphasize how using your products contributes to a healthier environment and creates a better future for the next generation. This value prop highlights the positive impact of your products on the environment and future generations.

By understanding the key elements of a compelling value proposition – identifying your audience’s needs, crafting a clear statement that communicates unique benefits, and incorporating emotional appeal – you can create a powerful message that resonates with your target audience. Remember to continuously evaluate and refine your value proposition as market conditions change and customer preferences evolve.

Step 1: Conducting Market Research to Understand Customer Preferences

Before crafting a value proposition, it is crucial to conduct thorough market research to gain insights into your target audience’s preferences and needs. This step will help you understand what motivates your customers and how your product or service can provide them with a solution.

Start by identifying your target market and gathering data about their demographics, behaviors, and pain points to understand their value prop. Use surveys, interviews, and social media listening tools to gather valuable feedback directly from your potential customers and uncover patterns, trends, and common challenges that your audience faces.

By understanding the specific pain points of your customers, you can tailor your value proposition to address their needs directly. This research will also help you differentiate yourself from competitors by identifying gaps in the market that you can fill with a unique solution.

Step 2: Defining Your Brand’s Unique Selling Points and Competitive Advantage

Once you have a clear understanding of your target audience’s preferences, it’s time to define your brand’s unique selling points (USPs) and competitive advantage, which are part of your value proposition. These value props are the qualities that set your product or service apart from others in the market.

Consider what makes your offering distinct and better than alternatives available. Is it superior quality, affordability, convenience, innovation, or exceptional customer service? Identify these key differentiators as they form the foundation of your value proposition.

To determine your value prop and competitive advantage, analyze how you compare to competitors in terms of price, features, benefits, reputation, or any other relevant factors. Highlight the areas where you excel or offer something truly unique that others cannot replicate easily.

Remember that authenticity is essential when defining your value proposition (value prop) and competitive advantage. Ensure that these qualities align with what you genuinely offer as a brand; otherwise, customers may feel misled if expectations are not met.

Step 3: Creating a Compelling Headline, Subheadline, and Supporting Statements

Crafting a compelling headline, subheadline, and supporting statements is crucial to grab your audience’s attention and communicate the value you offer. These elements should be concise, impactful, and clearly convey the benefits customers can expect from your product or service.

Start with a headline that captures the essence of your value proposition in a single sentence. It should be attention-grabbing, addressing a specific customer pain point or desire while highlighting your unique solution.

The subheadline provides an opportunity to elaborate further on the headline by adding more context or emphasizing additional benefits. Make it engaging and persuasive to encourage readers to continue reading and understand the value prop.

Supporting statements are where you provide more detailed information about how your product or service solves customer problems or fulfills their desires. Use bullet lists to outline specific features, benefits, or advantages that make your value prop stand out.

Remember to keep these statements focused on the customer rather than solely promoting your brand. Explain how your value prop addresses their needs and why it is superior to other options available.

Step 4: Presenting Your Value Proposition Clearly and Succinctly

To ensure that your value proposition resonates with potential customers, it’s essential to present it clearly and succinctly. Avoid jargon or complex language that may confuse or alienate readers; instead, use simple words and vocabulary that everyone can understand.

Consider using informal sentence structures and tone throughout the presentation of your value proposition. This approach creates a friendly and relatable atmosphere for readers, making them more likely to connect with what you’re offering.

Utilize personal pronouns such as “you” to engage directly with readers and convey your value prop. This helps them envision themselves benefiting from your product or service. Incorporate rhetorical questions strategically to guide readers’ thoughts towards recognizing their need for what you offer.

Analogies and metaphors can also be effective tools in conveying complex ideas simply. They help paint vivid mental images for readers while making your value proposition more memorable and relatable.

Step 5: Testing and Refining Your Value Proposition

Crafting a value proposition is an iterative process that requires continuous testing and refinement . Once you have created your initial value proposition, it’s essential to gather feedback from customers or potential customers to gauge its effectiveness.

Consider conducting A/B tests by presenting different versions of your value proposition to different segments of your target audience. Analyze the results to identify which messaging resonates best with your customers and adjust accordingly.

Regularly review market trends, customer preferences, and competitor offerings to ensure that your value proposition remains relevant and competitive. Stay open to making changes as needed to keep up with evolving customer needs and maintain a strong position in the market.

Real-Life Examples That Inspire Success

Examining real-life examples from successful brands across different industries provides valuable insights into crafting an effective value proposition. By analyzing the strategies employed by these companies, we can identify common elements that make their value propositions stand out.

Imperfect Foods: Redefining Sustainability and Convenience

Imperfect Foods is a prime example of a brand that has successfully crafted a compelling value proposition. Their mission revolves around reducing food waste and promoting sustainability, while also offering convenience to customers. In their value proposition, they emphasize the benefits of receiving affordable, high-quality groceries delivered straight to your doorstep while making a positive impact on the environment.

By highlighting the dual advantages of sustainability and convenience, Imperfect Foods appeals to environmentally conscious consumers who are seeking convenient solutions for their grocery needs. Their value proposition effectively communicates their unique selling point and resonates with a target audience looking to align their purchasing decisions with their values.

Unveiling the Secrets of Effective Value Propositions

To create an impactful value proposition, it’s crucial to learn from the language choices, structure, and visual presentation utilized by successful brands. Let’s delve deeper into some key elements that contribute to the effectiveness of these value propositions:

• Clear and Concise Language: Successful value propositions use simple yet powerful language that clearly communicates the benefits or solutions provided by the brand. Avoid jargon or technical terms that may confuse potential customers.
• Unique Selling Point: A strong value proposition highlights what sets a brand apart from its competitors. Whether it’s price competitiveness, superior quality, or innovative features, identifying and emphasizing this unique selling point is essential.
• Customer-Centric Approach: Effective value propositions focus on addressing customer pain points or desires directly. By understanding your target audience’s needs and wants, you can tailor your message to resonate with them on a personal level.
• Visual Appeal: Visual elements such as color schemes, images, and typography play a crucial role in capturing attention and conveying the brand’s personality, making them a key part of the value prop. Consistency in visual presentation across different platforms enhances brand recognition.

Learning from Success Stories

Let’s explore a few more examples of successful value propositions to gain further inspiration:

• Apple: “Think Different” – Apple’s value proposition highlights their commitment to innovation, user-friendly design, and seamless integration across devices. By encouraging customers to think differently, they position themselves as a brand that challenges the status quo.
• Airbnb: “Belong Anywhere” – Airbnb’s value proposition revolves around offering unique travel experiences that allow guests to feel at home wherever they go. They emphasize the personal connections and sense of belonging that can be achieved through their platform.
• Nike: “Just Do It” – Nike’s iconic tagline has become synonymous with motivation and empowerment. Their value proposition inspires individuals to overcome obstacles and push their limits through the power of sport.
• Tesla: “Accelerating Sustainable Transport” – Tesla’s value proposition centers around their commitment to sustainable transportation solutions without compromising on performance or style. They appeal to environmentally conscious consumers who also desire cutting-edge technology.
• Amazon: “Earth’s Biggest Selection” – Amazon emphasizes its vast product selection and convenient shopping experience in its value proposition. By positioning themselves as a one-stop-shop for all consumer needs, they have become a trusted online marketplace worldwide.
• Coca-Cola: “Open Happiness” – Coca-Cola’s value proposition focuses on the emotional connection associated with their beverage rather than just the product itself. They aim to bring joy, happiness, and shared moments through their refreshing drinks.
• Spotify: “Music for Everyone” – Spotify positions itself as a platform that provides access to an extensive library of music for people of all tastes and preferences. Their value proposition highlights convenience, personalization, and discovery within the realm of music streaming.

By analyzing these successful value propositions, we can gain valuable insights into crafting our own compelling messages. Remember, the key lies in understanding your target audience, clearly communicating the benefits you offer, and presenting your brand in a visually appealing manner.

Using persuasive language to capture attention and evoke emotions

One of the most important aspects is using persuasive language that captures attention and evokes emotions. The words you choose can make all the difference in how your value proposition is perceived by potential customers.

To create a compelling value proposition, consider using power words that elicit strong emotions. Words like “amazing,” “revolutionary,” or “life-changing” can instantly grab the reader’s attention and pique their interest. By appealing to their emotions, you can make your value proposition more memorable and impactful.

Incorporating storytelling techniques is a powerful way to connect with your audience on a deeper level and enhance your value prop. Instead of simply stating the features of your product or service, try framing them within a narrative that resonates with your target customers. This allows them to envision themselves benefiting from what you offer, making it more likely for them to take action.

Furthermore, utilizing social proof through testimonials or success stories can enhance the persuasiveness of your value proposition. People are more likely to trust the experiences and opinions of others who have already benefited from your product or service. Including real-life examples of satisfied customers can build credibility and strengthen the emotional appeal of your value proposition.

Structuring the value proposition with clarity, simplicity, and brevity

In order for your value proposition to be effective, it must be structured in a way that is clear, simple, and concise. A cluttered or confusing message will only confuse potential customers and deter them from engaging further.

Start by clearly stating the unique benefit or solution you provide right at the beginning of your value proposition. This ensures that readers immediately understand what sets you apart from competitors.

Next, focus on simplicity in both language and design to enhance your value prop. Use straightforward language that avoids jargon or technical terms that may alienate certain audiences. Keep sentences and paragraphs short, making it easier for readers to digest the information quickly. Utilize bullet points or numbered lists to break down key points or features in a concise and scannable manner, further emphasizing your value prop.

Remember, brevity is crucial. Avoid lengthy explanations or unnecessary details that may overwhelm readers. Instead, focus on capturing their attention with a succinct statement that conveys the value you offer.

Incorporating power words, testimonials, or guarantees for added impact

To truly make your value proposition stand out, consider incorporating additional elements such as power words, testimonials, or guarantees. These can add an extra layer of impact and persuasion to your message.

Power words are emotionally charged terms that create a sense of urgency or excitement and enhance the value prop. Words like “exclusive,” “limited time offer,” or “guaranteed” can compel readers to take action by creating a fear of missing out or emphasizing the benefits they will receive.

Testimonials provide social proof by showcasing real experiences from satisfied customers. Including positive feedback or success stories adds credibility and builds trust in your brand. When potential customers see that others have had positive outcomes from using your product or service, they are more likely to believe in its value.

Lastly, consider incorporating guarantees into your value proposition. Assuring customers that they have nothing to lose by trying your offering can help alleviate any doubts they may have. Whether it’s a money-back guarantee, free trial period, or satisfaction guarantee, these assurances demonstrate confidence in what you provide and encourage potential customers to give it a try.

Visuals and headlines play a crucial role in capturing the attention of your target customers. By utilizing eye-catching visuals that support the message and crafting headlines that instantly communicate the value proposition, you can effectively reinforce your brand’s unique offering.

Utilizing Eye-Catching Visuals that Support the Message

Visual elements are an essential component of any value proposition as they have the ability to convey messages quickly and effectively. When designing visuals for your value proposition, consider incorporating images or videos that align with your brand’s identity and resonate with your target customers. For example, if you are selling home decor products, using high-quality images showcasing beautifully decorated spaces can evoke aspirational messaging and appeal to customers’ desires for an aesthetically pleasing environment.

In addition to images, consider using other visual elements such as infographics or charts to present data or statistics about your product’s benefits. This not only adds credibility but also makes complex information more digestible for your audience. By selecting visuals that complement your tagline or headline, you create a cohesive visual experience that reinforces your value proposition.

Crafting Headlines that Instantly Communicate the Value Proposition

Headlines are like gateways to your value proposition; they need to capture attention and communicate the essence of what you offer within seconds. To achieve this, start by identifying the key benefits or unique selling points of your product or service. Then, craft concise and impactful headlines that highlight these aspects.

For instance, if you’re selling productivity tools aimed at helping professionals streamline their work processes, a strong headline could be “Boost Your Efficiency with Our Cutting-Edge Productivity Tools – The Ultimate Value Prop.” This headline not only communicates the benefit (improved efficiency) but also emphasizes its uniqueness (cutting-edge) and highlights the value proposition.

To further enhance the effectiveness of your headlines, consider adding a subheadline that provides additional context or elaborates on your value proposition. For example, “Designed for Busy Professionals Looking to Maximize Productivity and Save Time.” This subheadline reinforces the target customer segment (busy professionals) and emphasizes the intended outcome (maximizing productivity and saving time).

Ensuring Consistency Between Visuals, Headlines, and Supporting Content

Consistency is key when reinforcing your value proposition. It’s important to ensure that your visuals, headlines, and supporting content work harmoniously together to deliver a cohesive message. When designing your product pages or home page, make sure that the visual elements align with the overall design and branding of your website.

Moreover, the content accompanying your visuals should provide further details about how your product or service addresses the needs of your target customers. This can include case studies, testimonials from satisfied customers, or any other social proofs that demonstrate the value you offer.

In addition to maintaining consistency across different elements of your value proposition, it’s crucial to align them with your brand identity. By using consistent colors, fonts, and design elements throughout all touchpoints with customers – be it on your website or in marketing materials – you reinforce brand recognition and build trust.

Incorporating the value proposition across all marketing channels

To maximize the impact of your value proposition, it is crucial to incorporate it consistently across all marketing channels. Whether you are engaging in digital marketing efforts or traditional offline strategies, aligning your messaging with your value proposition will help create a cohesive brand image and resonate with your target market.

In product marketing, for example, every piece of promotional material should highlight how your offerings deliver value to customers. This could be through emphasizing features that solve specific pain points or showcasing the unique benefits that set your product apart from competitors. By consistently communicating this value proposition through various media such as social media posts, blog articles, and email newsletters, you ensure that potential customers receive a clear message about what makes your product or service valuable.

Moreover, integrating your value proposition into marketing campaigns allows you to position yourself effectively in the market. When planning a campaign, consider how each element contributes to reinforcing your key message. From creating attention-grabbing visuals that align with your brand identity to crafting compelling copy that highlights the benefits customers can expect, every aspect should reflect and reinforce your value proposition.

Aligning messaging with the value proposition in advertisements and campaigns

Advertisements play a significant role in capturing consumers’ attention and generating interest in your offerings. To make these efforts impactful, it is essential to align their messaging with your value proposition. By doing so, you create a consistent narrative that resonates with potential customers and strengthens their perception of what sets you apart from competitors.

When developing ad campaigns, focus on conveying the core elements of your value proposition concisely and persuasively. Highlight how using your product or service can enhance customer experience or solve specific problems they may face. Use language that speaks directly to their needs and desires while clearly articulating why choosing you over others is advantageous.

For instance, if one of the pillars of your value proposition is providing easy access to information or services, your advertisements should emphasize this convenience. Whether it’s through showcasing a user-friendly interface or highlighting quick and efficient delivery, aligning your messaging with your value proposition ensures that potential customers understand the unique benefits you offer.

Using consistent language to reinforce the value proposition in customer communications

Consistency is key to establishing a strong connection with your audience and building trust. By using language that consistently reflects your brand’s core message, you effectively communicate your value proposition.

Ensure that all customer touchpoints, such as emails, live chats, and phone conversations, reflect the same language and tone as your overall marketing strategy. This consistency not only reinforces your value proposition but also creates a seamless experience for customers throughout their journey with your brand.

Consider incorporating specific phrases or keywords from your value proposition into customer communications. For instance, if one of the pillars of your value proposition is exceptional customer service, train support staff to use phrases like “We’re here to help” or “Your satisfaction is our priority.” These small but impactful details reinforce the core values you want customers to associate with your brand.

Conducting A/B tests to compare different versions of your value proposition

It’s essential to test different versions of your value prop to determine which resonates best with your target audience. A/B testing is an effective method that allows you to compare two or more variations of your value prop messaging and identify the most impactful one.

To conduct an A/B test for your value proposition, follow these steps:

• Identify the key elements: Start by breaking down your value proposition into its core components, such as headline, subheadings, body text, or call-to-action. These are the areas where you can experiment with different messaging.
• Create multiple versions to enhance your value prop: Develop alternative versions of each component, ensuring they differ in terms of wording, tone, or emphasis. For example, you might try highlighting different benefits or using contrasting language styles.
• Split your audience: Randomly divide your target audience into groups and expose each group to a specific version of your value proposition. This will help you gauge their reactions and preferences accurately.
• Measure the results: Track relevant metrics such as click-through rates, conversion rates, engagement levels, and value prop to evaluate the performance of each variation. Analyzing these data points will provide insights into which version is more effective at capturing attention and driving desired actions.
• Iterate based on insights: Based on the results obtained from the A/B test, refine and optimize your value proposition further by incorporating the elements that performed well in engaging your audience. Continuously iterate until you achieve optimal messaging that effectively communicates the unique value you offer.

By conducting A/B tests for your value proposition regularly, you can fine-tune its messaging to align with customer preferences and maximize its impact on conversions and engagement.

Gathering feedback from customers through surveys or focus groups

In addition to A/B testing, gathering direct feedback from customers is a valuable approach to refining your value proposition. Surveys and focus groups provide opportunities to delve deeper into the thoughts and opinions of your target audience, enabling you to gain valuable insights that can shape your messaging strategy.

Here’s how you can effectively gather feedback through surveys or focus groups while highlighting your value prop.

• Design targeted survey questions: Create a well-structured survey with questions specifically tailored to understand customers’ perception of your value proposition. Ask about their pain points, what they find appealing, and any suggestions for improvement.
• Leverage online survey tools like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms to distribute user-friendly and accessible surveys across various devices, including mobile devices. This will enhance your value prop.
• Incentivize participation: Offer incentives such as discounts, exclusive content, or entry into a prize draw to encourage customers to participate in the survey. This increases the likelihood of obtaining a higher response rate and strengthens your value prop.
• Conduct focus group sessions: Organize focus group sessions where you can interact directly with a small group of customers who fit your target audience profile. Encourage open discussions and probe deeper into their perceptions and preferences regarding your value proposition.
• Analyze feedback and identify patterns: Thoroughly analyze the responses received from surveys or focus groups, looking for recurring themes or patterns that emerge across different participants. These patterns will help you identify areas of improvement or highlight aspects of your value proposition that resonate strongly with your audience.

By actively seeking feedback from your target audience through surveys or focus groups, you gain valuable insights that guide you in optimizing your value proposition further based on real customer perspectives.

Iteratively refining the value proposition based on data-driven insights

To create an effective value proposition, it’s crucial to adopt an iterative approach driven by data-driven insights gained from A/B testing and customer feedback. Continuously refining your messaging ensures it remains relevant and compelling in an ever-evolving market landscape.

Here’s how you can iteratively refine your value proposition based on data-driven insights:

• Analyze A/B test results: Review the performance metrics obtained from A/B tests and identify which versions of your value proposition generated the most favorable outcomes.

In the fast-paced world of business, it’s crucial to have a clear understanding of your value proposition. This is where the value proposition canvas comes into play. By using this visual tool, you can map out the key components of your value proposition and gain strategic clarity. Let’s dive in and explore how to effectively utilize this canvas for maximum impact.

Identifying Customer Segments, Pain Points, Unique Features, and Benefits

The first step in mapping out your value proposition canvas is identifying your customer segments. Who are the individuals or groups that will benefit most from your product or service? Understanding their needs, preferences, and pain points is essential for crafting a compelling value proposition.

Once you have identified your customer segments, it’s time to delve deeper into their pain points. What are the challenges they face? What keeps them up at night? By pinpointing these pain points, you can tailor your offering to address their specific needs.

Next, focus on identifying the unique features of your product or service. What sets you apart from the competition? Is there a particular aspect that makes your offering stand out? Highlighting these unique features will help differentiate your brand and attract potential customers.

Finally, consider the benefits that your product or service brings to the table. How does it solve your customers’ problems? What positive outcomes can they expect from choosing you over others? Clearly articulating these benefits will make it easier for customers to see the value in what you offer.

Gaining Strategic Clarity by Visually Analyzing Relationships

Now that you have identified all the key elements of your value proposition – customer segments, pain points, unique features, and benefits – it’s time to analyze their relationships visually . The beauty of using a canvas is that it allows you to see how these components interact with one another.

Start by drawing connections between customer segments and their corresponding pain points. This will help you understand which segments are most affected by specific challenges and how your product or service can provide solutions.

Next, map out the relationship between your unique features and the pain points they address. By doing so, you can determine which features are most relevant to each customer segment’s needs. This analysis will guide you in positioning your product or service effectively.

Finally, connect the benefits of your offering to both the pain points and unique features. This step is crucial for demonstrating the value that customers will gain by choosing your brand. It also helps you refine and strengthen your value proposition further.

Putting it All Together: Creating a Powerful Value Proposition

By mapping out your value proposition canvas and analyzing its components visually, you gain strategic clarity that enables you to create a powerful value proposition. Armed with this knowledge, you can now craft a compelling message that resonates with your target audience.

Remember to incorporate all the insights gained from identifying customer segments, pain points, unique features, and benefits into your value proposition statement. Clearly communicate how your product or service solves their specific problems and delivers tangible benefits.

To illustrate this process further, let’s consider an example:

Imagine you’re developing a new mobile app designed to help people track their fitness goals. Your customer segments could include busy professionals who struggle to find time for exercise and health-conscious individuals looking for an easy way to monitor their progress.

The pain points for these segments might be lack of motivation, difficulty tracking workouts and nutrition, and limited access to professional guidance. Your app’s unique features could include personalized workout plans, meal tracking functionality, and access to expert advice through video tutorials.

The benefits of using this app would be improved fitness levels, increased accountability, convenience in tracking progress anywhere at any time, and expert guidance without expensive gym memberships or personal trainers.

By mapping out these elements on a value proposition canvas and visually analyzing their relationships, you can create a compelling value proposition statement such as: “Our mobile app takes the hassle out of fitness tracking, providing personalized workout plans, expert advice, and convenient progress monitoring to help you achieve your health goals.

Congratulations! You’ve now journeyed through the intricate process of crafting an effective value proposition. From understanding its significance in the competitive business world, to examining noteworthy examples, and finally navigating the steps to create your own, you’ve gained a comprehensive understanding of how to write a value proposition.

As you move forward, remember this: the art of value proposition crafting doesn’t end once you’ve created a compelling statement. It’s an ongoing process of testing, refining, and integrating into your marketing strategies. So, put your newfound knowledge to use, make your offering stand out and resonate with your target audience. Now is the perfect time to start writing your killer value proposition!

What is a value proposition example?

A value proposition example is Dollar Shave Club’s succinct statement: “Shave Time. Shave Money.” The brand clearly communicates that they offer high-quality affordable razors, conveniently delivered to their customers’ doorsteps, saving them both time and money.

What are the elements of value proposition?

The elements of a value proposition include the headline, sub-headline or a 2-3 sentence paragraph, list of benefits or features, and social proof or visual representations. These elements collectively define the unique selling point(s) of a product or service.

What are the 5 different types of value propositions?

The five types of value propositions are: All Benefits – emphasizes all offerings, Points of Difference – stresses unique attributes, Resonating Focus – highlights one or two key benefits, Value Story – narrative form of benefits, and Comparative – showcases superiority to competitors.

What is Starbucks value proposition?

Starbucks’ value proposition revolves around a premium coffee experience. They provide high-quality coffee along with comfortable, cozy spaces to sip and socialize. Starbucks also capitalizes on convenience with widespread locations and mobile ordering options.

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What Is a Value Proposition?

Understanding value propositions, special considerations, frequently asked questions.

• Value Proposition FAQs
• Business Essentials

Value Proposition: How to Write It With Examples

A value proposition in marketing is a concise statement of the benefits that a company is delivering to customers who buy its products or services. It serves as a declaration of intent, both inside the company and in the marketplace.

The term value proposition is believed to have first appeared in a McKinsey & Co. industry research paper in 1988, which defined it as "a clear, simple statement of the benefits, both tangible and intangible, that the company will provide, along with the approximate price it will charge each customer segment for those benefits."

Key Takeaways

• A company's value proposition tells a customer the number one reason why a product or service is best suited for that particular customer.
• A value proposition should be communicated to customers directly, either via the company's website or other marketing or advertising materials.
• Value propositions can follow different formats, as long as they are "on brand," unique, and specific to the company in question.
• A successful value proposition should be persuasive and help turn a prospect into a paying customer.

Investopedia / NoNo Flores

A value proposition stands as a promise by a company to a customer or market segment . The proposition is an easy-to-understand reason why a customer should buy a product or service from that particular business. A value proposition should clearly explain how a product fills a need, communicate the specifics of its added benefit, and state the reason why it's better than similar products on the market. The ideal value proposition is to-the-point and appeals to a customer's strongest decision-making drivers.

Companies use this statement to target customers who will benefit most from using the company's products, and this helps maintain a company's economic moat . An economic moat is a competitive advantage. The moat analogy—coined by super-investor  Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway—states that the wider the moat, the bigger and more resilient the firm is to competition.

A great value proposition demonstrates what a brand has to offer a customer that no other competitor has and how a service or product fulfills a need that no other company is able to fill.

Components of a Value Proposition

A company's value proposition communicates the number one reason why a product or service is best suited for a customer segment. Therefore, it should always be displayed prominently on a company's website and in other consumer touch points. It also must be intuitive, so that a customer can read or hear the value proposition and understand the delivered value without needing further explanation.

Value propositions that stand out tend to make use of a particular structure. A successful value proposition typically has a strong, clear headline that communicates the delivered benefit to the consumer. The headline should be a single memorable sentence, phrase, or even a tagline. It frequently incorporates catchy slogans that become part of successful advertising campaigns .

Often a subheadline will be provided underneath the main headline, expanding on the explanation of the delivered value and giving a specific example of why the product or service is superior to others the consumer has in mind. The subheading can be a short paragraph and is typically between two and three sentences long. The subheading is a way to highlight the key features or benefits of the products and often benefits from the inclusion of bullet points or another means of highlighting standout details.

This kind of structure allows consumers to scan the value proposition quickly and pick up on product features. Added visuals increase the ease of communication between business and consumer. In order to craft a strong value proposition, companies will often conduct market research to determine which messages resonate the best with their customers.

Value propositions can follow different formats as long as they are unique to the company and to the consumers the company services. All effective value propositions are easy to understand and demonstrate specific results for a customer using a product or service. They differentiate a product or service from any competition, avoid overused marketing buzzwords , and communicate value within a short amount of time.

For a value proposition to effectively turn a prospect into a paying customer, it should clearly identify who the customers are, what their main problems are, and how the company's product or service is the ideal solution to help them solve their problem.

What Is the Purpose of a Value Proposition?

A value proposition is meant to convince stakeholders, investors, or customers that a company or its products or services are worthwhile. If the value proposition is weak or unconvincing it may be difficult to attract investment and consumer demand.

What Is an Employee Value Proposition?

An employee value proposition (EVP) applies to the job market. Here, a company that is hiring will try to frame itself as a good place to work, offering not only monetary compensation but also a range of benefits, perks, and a productive environment. In return, the job candidate will need to convince the hiring company that they have the appropriate skills, experience, demeanor, and ambition to succeed.

What Happens if a Value Proposition Fails?

If a company cannot convince others that it has value or that its products or services or valuable, it will lose profitability and access to capital and may ultimately go out of business.

Lanning, Michael J., and Edward G. Michaels. "A business is a value delivery system."  McKinsey staff paper  No. 41. July, 1988.

CNBC Warren Buffett Archive. " Morning Session - 1995 Meeting ."

Alexander Osterwalder et al. " Value proposition design: How to create products and services customers want. Vol. 2." John Wiley & Sons, 2015.

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How To Write A Value Proposition In 5 Simple Steps

by Jacob McMillen | Oct 13, 2020 | Blog , Marketing | 6 comments

If you want to learn how to write a value proposition that:

• Communicates your value,
• Connects with your customers,
• And increases your revenue….

… you’ll love this guide.

I’m going to teach you the five simple steps I’ve been using for the last eight years to write effective value propositions for industry-leading law firms, nationally-renowned marketing agencies, SaaS companies, massive startups, small businesses and more… and I’m going to do it while walking you through a real-life example from a previous client.

But before we learn how to write a value proposition, let’s break down what it is and what separates the good ones from the bad ones.

What Is A Value Proposition?

A value proposition is a statement that summarizes what a business is offering, who they are offering it to, and ideally, what makes their offer special or unique.

When we talk about a value proposition these days, we are typically referring to the opening statement of a website page, usually a “landing page” intended to be the first thing people see when they “land” on your website.

Your value proposition is similar to an elevator pitch, but instead of 20-30 seconds in an elevator, you have less than 15 seconds  to grab the attention of your website visitors and convince them to stay on your page.

And just like a headline , that’s ultimately the goal of a value proposition: to convince the right visitors to stay and continue reading.

The 3 Components Of A Great Value Proposition (Plus Live Example)

There are three things we want to accomplish with our value proposition:

• Clearly define the offer
• Specify who it’s for
• Differentiate your value

If you can accomplish two of these things, that is usually enough to make a good value proposition, and if you can accomplish all three, you have the makings of a great value proposition.

Let’s look at an example.

Here’s a value proposition I wrote for a client  this last year.

Let’s see how we did measuring against our three objectives.

Objective #1: Clearly define the offer.

Our headline is devoted to the offer: “Outsourced Split Testing”. In the first paragraph, we then elaborate on this, specifying that we “[build] A/B, Multivariate, and Personalization Experiments across the entire customer journey.”

This is really the most important part of a value proposition. If your reader can’t immediately determine what is being offered, then who it’s for and why it’s uniquely valuable don’t really matter.

Objective #2: Specify who it’s for.

Our target audience is clearly specified in the subheadline: “For CRO Agencies & In-House Campaigns”.

This lets anyone from an agency or in-house team know immediately that the service being offered is specifically catered to them, and as a result, they are much more likely to take interest in reading through the rest of the pitch.

We don’t care about our offer being interesting to anyone else. Other types of people aren’t going to purchase our service anyway. We only care about how the “right” people – aka our target audience – experiences our value proposition.

Keep in mind that you don’t always have to be this direct. Sometimes, you can communicate who an offer is for through implication, and sometimes, it’s inherently inherently implied within the nature of the offer itself.

But if you can be direct, be direct. It’s almost always going to help.

Objective #3: Differentiate your value.

In this example, we differentiate using the two explanatory paragraphs:

• “years of experience”
• “over 5,000 campaigns under our belt”
• “doesn’t matter the device, application, platform, or complexity”
• “We’ll provide the technical expertise and deliver a flawless campaign at offshore prices.”

This is usually the trickiest part of writing a value proposition. The differentiating value might be difficult to communicate concisely, or it might be difficult to differentiate the offer in the first place.

Notice in our example that we aren’t just using a headline. We are making use of the entire “hero shot” here – the full screen the visitor can see when they first land on the page.

A value proposition is whatever you can fit on this page:

• It could be a simple headline + subheadline
• It could be a headline + video
• It could be a headline + checklist
• It could be any combination of elements that fit on this screen

In our example, we choose to go with two explanatory paragraphs, because we felt like we needed a bit more space to communicate the differentiating value this brand was able to bring to the table.

How To Write A Value Proposition In 5 Steps

Now that we’ve covered what makes a value proposition great, it’s time to learn a proven, repeatable process you can use to write a great value proposition any time, on demand.

Simply follow these five steps:

• Ask and answer the right questions
• Fill in the blanks of this core value proposition formula
• Expand the copy and experiment with formatting
• Brainstorm multiple versions
• Test and finalize your value proposition

1. Ask & Answer The Right Questions

Writing a great value proposition starts with having the right information.

If you are writing for your own business, asking yourself the right questions will help you focus on the information that really matters and not miss the forest for the trees when putting your value proposition together.

If you are a website copywriter putting together a value proposition for a client, having the right questionnaire upfront ( steal mine here ) will give you the information you need to write and prevent a lot of unnecessary follow up throughout the project.

So what sort of information are we looking for?

• First, we need to understand the offer.
• Second, we need to understand the customer.
• Third, we are looking for anything that will help us connect the value of the offer to the needs of the customer.

For the first one, we need to understand everything about the offer:

• What is it?
• How does it work?
• How does it benefit the customer?

For the second one, we need to understand as much as we can about the customer, particularly within the context of the offer:

• Who is the target customer?
• What do they look like (job role, demographic, hobbies, goals, etc)?
• What benefits/solutions/achievements are they seeking?
• What pain points, frustrations, challenges are they wanting to overcome?

For the third one, our goal is to match the benefits of our offer to the needs of the customer:

• Our offer provides a benefit that they are looking for
• Our offer solves a pain point that frustrates them
• Our offer can play a pivotal role in helping them achieve a desired outcome

The first two are fairly straightforward. For the third one, we are looking for two types of customers needs:

• They have a problem or pain point that they want solved or alleviated.
• They have a desired benefit or goal they are hoping to experience or achieve.

If you are more of a visual learner, here’s a simple, helpful illustration from Strategyzer , which they refer to as a “value proposition canvas”:

Let’s connect this back to our previous example.

Objective #1: Learn about the offer.

Using my copywriting questionnaire , the existing site copy, and conversations with the founder, I was able to determine the following info about the offer:

• Offer was done-for-you testing development
• Performed by experienced remote team
• 5,000+ campaigns performed
• Fast, efficient process for common tests like split tests and multivariate tests
• No technical ceiling – able to do much higher difficulty stuff like API-based tests, personalization campaigns, and multi-platform campaigns – most testing teams can’t do this level of complexity on their own
• Remote, offshore team lets them provide extremely favorable pricing
• Founder is passionate about paying competitive local wages and developing local talent, and wants to make sure offshore isn’t construed as exploitation

Reading through this, you might be thinking, “I don’t know what any of this means… does that mean I can’t be a copywriter?”

I only know what all this means (loosely), because I’ve been working in this field for the last 6 years. I’ve written a lot of content in the CRO space, and I’ve worked with a lot of the major players.

But I learned on the go. I never said, “I can’t take this job, because I don’t understand your industry well enough yet.” If I didn’t understand something, I went out and learned as much as I could about it.

I do often reject projects in industries I have no desire to learn about.

But I never reject a project simply because I’m afraid I won’t be able to learn what I need to learn to do a good job.

Objective #2: Learn about the customers.

The customers were very straightforward for this client.

• They work primarily with CRO agencies and in-house testing departments
• In-house departments often don’t have the expertise needed on staff
• They may have bought expensive testing software without realizing what would be needed to use it
• CRO agencies struggle with staffing around seasonal demand – they need a lot of staff to fulfill development requirements in seasons with lots of testing, and then they lose money keeping staff on through seasons with low testing.
• Agencies also don’t usually have developers on staff who can handle higher complexity tests
• Both profiles tend to be fine with strategy and ideas. The difficulties come down to not having either the staff, budget or both to execute testing ideas at the level they’d like to.

Time to connect the offer to the customers.

Objective #3: Connect the offer to the customer.

What we identified here is that for an agency, the big value would be in being able to instantly access a talented development with no long-term financial commitments, either for the purpose of executing a specific, higher complexity campaign, or for handling seasonal testing demand that will drop off at a later date.

For in-house departments, the big value would be in having ongoing developmental help, either as an outsourced core testing team or an add-on team for higher complexity campaigns.

Speaking to two segments at once, each with different needs, can be difficult and sometimes even ill-advised. In this case, we felt there were enough similarities to speak to both at once, so that’s what we tried to do.

2. Fill In The Blanks Of This Value Proposition Formula

There is a simple value proposition formula that I think everyone should start with:

You probably won’t finish with this, but it’s a great starting point, because it forces you to write out some of the key pieces that matter, which again, helps you not miss the forest for the trees.

It may sound like I’m repeating myself, but losing sight of the key goals of a value proposition is the main reason so many published value propositions suck.

Continuing with our example, we’d end up with the following value proposition:

Take note that this exercise serves as a nice little confirmation that we did step #1 correctly. We should have all the info we need to fill in this simple formula, and actually filling it out will help confirm that we have what we need.

It also is a legitimately good starting point.

The above value proposition explains what needs to be explained. It’s definitely too wordy and a bit awkward to read, but if you were to tell a potential client the above statement, they would understand what you are doing enough to know whether or not they’re interested in learning more.

From here, we need to expand and experiment.

3. Expand The Copy & Experiment With Formatting

As we mentioned earlier, your value proposition isn’t limited to a headline.

When someone lands on a web page, they are going to see an entire screen’s worth of content, and that’s the real estate you have to work with.

Let’s look at a few examples of what is possible in terms of format and content.

Here’s the simplest possible format from my own website copywriting landing page :

The format here is simply a subheadline, a headline, and a CTA button.

You could potentially simplify this even further to a single headline, but I personally don’t like doing anything less than a headline + subheadline.

Another great option is to incorporate social proof, like this example from Carrot.com , written by copywriter Mike Blankenship .

Real estate professionals are bombarded with new lead-gen software 24/7. This value proposition combines 3 different types of social proof (Inc 5,000 brand, 5-star reviews, 2+ million leads) to immediately stand out and suggest this is a superior product to what the reader has seen before.

For one final example from a past client, this value proposition on CoachTube.com  invites the reader to immediately engage with the product by entering their sport.

There are tons of possibilities when it comes to formatting a value proposition. Don’t limit yourself, but also… don’t try to be TOO creative or unique.

The goal isn’t to be different for the sake of being different. Your format should focus only on facilitating the message. If a simple headline and subheadline do that best, stick to that.

4. Brainstorm Multiple Versions

Once you have:

• Asked and answered the right questions
• Established the core value proposition
• And determined your format (or a few viable formats)

… it’s time to brainstorm.

Go nuts and create 10+ unique value propositions.

They will all be saying similar things, but you want to really force yourself to create different phrasing, word choices, and emphases for each iteration.

There are a few reasons for this.

First, it’s very, very easy to get mentally locked in one direction when creating a value proposition, and you are usually going to be locked into whatever you thought of first, not what is actually best.

Forcing yourself to go in different directions will get you out of that mental rut and allow you to discover new iterations that might be better.

Second, if you are working with a client, their preferences might head in a different direction than your initial train of thought. Brainstorming numerous ideas allows them to steer the direction of the value proposition rather than simply saying, “yes/no” to a single idea.

Brainstorming can be time-consuming, but in my opinion, it’s worth it to spend extra time on the value proposition, because it’s probably the single most important statement on the entire website.

5. Test & Finalize The Value Proposition Copy

Once you’ve brainstormed all your ideas, select a winner or a handful of winners, and then continue improving them.

See if you can further improve the wording, the flow, and ultimately, the message.

Once you and your clients (if relevant) are happy with the final result, it’s time to run a few simple tests.

The 5-Second Test

The first test is what I call “the 5-second test”.

Grab the first person you can find who doesn’t know what your business does. Show them the value proposition for 5 seconds and then ask them to tell you what they think your business is offering, who they are offering it to, and why they should care.

They should at least have a clear understanding of what you are offering and be able to articulate the concept back to you. If they can also identify the target audience and why that audience might be interested in your offer, even better.

If they don’t have any conceptual understanding of your offer and are only able to simply quote back the language used in the value proposition, you probably need to make some changes.

As a caveat, if your offer is extremely niche, and the average person on the street isn’t able to identify some of the terminology or concepts that make up your value proposition, this test might not be helpful to you, but for 90% of businesses, it works great.

This is a quick, cheap test to run, so try to run it with 5 people if possible.

The Target Consumer Test

Random testers are great because they come to the scene with no preconceived ideas or biases, but ultimately, the niche consumers we’ll be targeting do in fact have preconceived ideas and biase.

This is why the 2nd test you should run before publishing a value proposition should be with your target consumers.

Give them a solid 10 seconds to view your value proposition, and then ask them the following questions:

• What questions do you have after reading this?
• What is this business offering?
• Who are they offering it to?
• Are there any benefits you’d expect to come along with this offer?
• Are they any problems you could see this offer solving?
• Does anything about this offer excite you?
• Does anything about this offer bring up concerns?

Feel free to add, subtract, or adjust these questions as desired. Our goal here is to get a deeper understanding about how our real audience will be interacting with our value proposition.

Try to run this test with 1-3 people if possible.

The Split Test

This one is a little bit more advanced, but if you are rewriting the value proposition for an existing web page, it’s important to verify that the new messaging doesn’t just feel better… it actually works better with your real visitors.

A split test uses software to compare the performance of our new value proposition against the old value proposition in real time with a live audience.

The software will show the old value proposition to an incoming visitor, then show the new value proposition to the next visitor, and so on, alternating between versions for a fixed length of time.

Once the test is complete, we can compare results.

For example, we might see that the old value proposition was shown to 145 visitors, had 23 people click on the CTA button and 2 made a purchase. Meanwhile, the new value proposition was shown to 146 visitors, had 30 people click on the CTA button and 3 made a purchase.

This would give us an indication that we are probably heading in the right direction, but since the results are not statistically significant, we would want to run a longer test.

If you’d like to take a more in-depth look into split testing, check out this guide  I co-authored with Brian Massey of ConversionSciences.com .

I hope you’ve found this guide helpful.

If you’d like to learn more about building a copywriting business, click here to learn how to become a copywriter .

Always in-depth and helpful, Jacob. You make it so darn easy to take action immediately. Thanks for the post.

Thanks Dennis, glad you found it helpful!

Hey Jacob, that was a wonderful and easily comprehendible explanation. Thank you for your valuable post!

Thanks Nadeem, glad you found it helpful!

This was really insightful. You’re doing a great job.

Super helpful, super easy to understand, super in depth as usual.

You’re a legend Jacob! Thanks a million 🙂

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10 Best Value Proposition Examples (and How to Create a Good One)

Consumerism in 2022 and beyond is serious business.

Shoppers are inundated with options, which means competition among businesses can get pretty fierce.

According to research, you only have 15 seconds to wow a new website visitor before they potentially lose interest and leave.

That’s why your value proposition is so important – if you can’t prove your worth fast, you’ll unfortunately be left in the dust.

But what is a value proposition , and how do you go about ensuring that you’re nailing yours?

That’s just what we’ll do in this article.

I’ll define the term and walk you through 10 awesome brand value proposition examples. Then, I’ll give you some pointers on how to create a value proposition for your own business.

Let’s do this.

What Is Value Proposition?

In a nutshell, your value proposition is a succinct explanation or illustration of why a customer should do business with you.

Your value proposition should cover three elements:

• The promise of what you’ll deliver to your customers
• The benefits that your customers will reap
• Why they should choose you over your competition

There’s no “correct” approach to creating a value proposition.

But there’s a big rule to follow: your business value proposition should be among the first things website visitors see when they interact with your business.

This means that you should aim to put this information above the scroll on the homepage of your website, which is the area that visitors see first when the page loads, before they scroll down the rest of the page.

And those messages should be reinforced throughout many – if not all – of the touchpoints in your customer’s journey with your brand.

If you have one, your value proposition should also include your unique selling proposition , or the thing that sets you apart from all of your competitors.

To give you a better idea of the many ways to express a strong value proposition, let’s look at some awesome examples.

10 Best Value Proposition Examples

Shopify’s customer value proposition essentially says that it can do everything you need it to, all on a single platform.

This speaks to some of the fundamental needs and concerns of someone who’s starting a new business : it can all get real overwhelming, real fast.

But Shopify soothes that anxiety and comforts visitors in knowing that they have a helping hand.

The company’s website says that the platform supports customers “from first sale to full scale,” and features everything you could need to start, sell, market, and manage your business.

To back it all up, those four items have their own page in the website’s main navigation, allowing users to directly explore how Shopify can help with each of those facets of starting, running, and growing a business.

2. Luxy Hair

Luxy Hair does a solid job of “selling” its clip-in hair extensions below the scroll on their homepage.

The product value proposition starts with an “As seen and featured in” section that lists out all the big names that have promoted the brand, like Teen Vogue, The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and Glamour.

This technique is called social proof , and it’s a slam-dunk approach for generating trust fast.

The site goes on to give five strong points that explain the product, its benefits, and how it solves the common pain points that many people face when looking for the right hair extensions.

It also shows great “before and after” photos for a visual display of real results.

3. charity: water

The non-profit organization charity: water is dedicated to providing communities around the world with clean drinking water.

The company’s leaders state that they believe they can end the water crisis during our lifetime. Above the scroll of the website, you see a headline that says that 100% of your donations will go to the cause.

This is an example of using their company value proposition to cut straight to the heart of controversy in the non-profit sector. A lot of organizations use donations to cover their operational costs, which can upset some donors when they discover that only a portion of their donation went to the cause.

4.  Crossrope

Crossrope is a unique jump rope with a very clear product value proposition. They flat-out say that they’ve perfected the jump rope with “meticulous engineering” and “hours of testing.”

It’s clear that the makers behind the Crossrope have put a lot of work into it, and they clearly explain the elements of their design that make these workout tools unique and high-quality.

Right below the fold on the homepage, you’ll see four points that support why it’s the perfect jump rope: they’re weighted, durable, interchangeable, and they have high-performance handles.

The company also has clever names for the two types of Crossrope: the “Get Lean” set and “Get Strong” set. These differentiate the two types while clearly stating the benefit for the customer.

5. Evernote

Everyone is busy. Evernote’s homepage showcases right off the bat how it can help save you time and boost your efficiency on a daily basis.

It immediately speaks to the key desires of their customers, which include things like effortless organization, taking notes anywhere, sharing them with anyone, and finding all of their information faster.

Anyone with their notes scattered around various physical notebooks, emails, and Word docs can attest that this is an inconvenient problem, which makes Evernote’s promises all the more appealing.

Plus, the call to action (CTA) button brings you straight to a free signup, which is extremely useful for proving value in the face of competitors.

6. ClassPass

Above the scroll on the company’s homepage, ClassPass swiftly gives you the key benefits of their business model:

• There’s no need to commit to a single gym or type of workout
• You can choose any gym or workout directly through the ClassPass app

This tool fulfills a specific niche in the health and fitness industry, which is that some people find it inconvenient to limit their fitness options to a single location or type of gym or studio.

Sometimes you just wanna take a Krav Maga class on Monday and a Bikram yoga class on Wednesday. And no one’s judging you for that.

As you scroll down the homepage, you find more juicy benefits and unique selling points like the ability to save on drop-in rates and the ability to stream classes from home for free.

7. hardgraft

Hardgraft has a beautiful website that showcases everything that it promises it’s about: “luxury lifestyle accessories with down to Earth aesthetics.”

The headline also notes that the company is “driven by instinct,” which suggests that the products are a natural extension of the lifestyle they cater to.

It instills confidence in the reader by saying something like, “Relax, we’re experts. We’ve got this.”

This is a good example of a brand value proposition that’s short, but extra sweet – too many words here would probaby lessen the luxurious image they’re after.

8. Crazy Egg

Crazy Egg is a website optimization platform that offers heatmaps and A/B testing .

Above the scroll on the homepage, the website says that you can instantly make your website better.

I don’t know about you, but that strikes me as a pretty enticing offer.

Of course, you’ll need to be sure that you’re putting your money where your mouth is when you make a bold claim like this – which is what Crazy Egg goes on to do.

The next line says that over 300,000 customers use the platform, and how they make their websites better (improving what’s working, fixing what isn’t, and testing new ideas).

This follows right into the ability to get a 30-day free trial to see for yourself.

9. Manitobah Mukluks

Manitobah Mukluks has a more purpose-driven story and brand value proposition than many other ecommerce stores .

On the homepage of the website, you’ll learn that the company is Indigenous-owned, with products that are handmade by Indigenous artists who receive 100% of the proceeds.

The company states its vision above the scroll, which is to build a vibrant brand that impacts Indigenous communities.

Throughout the website, the team at Manitobah Mukluks does a great job of weaving the stories of their ancestors throughout the brand’s products.

It’s building a more intimate relationship with visitors, and appealing to those who want to feel more connected and contributing to the brands they choose to do business with.

10. Mailchimp

If you’ve never heard about Mailchimp, it’s a popular all-in-one marketing platform that had a humble start as an email marketing platform.

After it exploded, it expanded into a full-service marketing company.

Above the scroll of the homepage, Mailchimp shows its key customer value proposition of helping businesses scale and grow.

As you scroll down the homepage, you see four key benefits that the platform offers for growing businesses, with the option to click each one for more information.

The company goes a great job of addressing the needs of a growing company while clearly showing how it can help fulfill those needs.

Now that you’ve seen some juicy value proposition examples, let’s go over a few tips for writing a value proposition for your own brand.

Tips on How to Write a Value Proposition

Clarify the purpose and vision of your company.

If you want to create an effective value proposition, you need to identify who you are and why you’ve set up a company in the first place. The easiest way to do this is by documenting your:                                                                                            

• Mission statement, which explains why your business exists
• Vision, which includes the current and future objectives of your business
• Core values, which are the key principles that guide and direct your company and its culture

This simple measure will help you define your value proposition with better clarity, which is crucial to creating a more powerful identity for your business.

Research your audience

Your value proposition isn’t written to appeal to you. It’s written to appeal to the audience you want to do business with. It is, therefore, crucial to understand who your buyers are and what motivates them. This can be done with the help of interviews.  

You can interview your existing or prospective customers about:

• What companies they like
• What they look for in an industry-specific product or service
• What type of language resonates with them

This research will help guide the language and voice you’ll use to communicate with your audience .

Conduct a competitive analysis

Your interviews with existing or prospective customers may reveal other companies they’ve worked with before discovering your business. Analyze those businesses and figure out whether they’re in competition with your firm.

If the analysis reveals any potential competition, consider using your value proposition to communicate how and why you’re different from other similar businesses.

Examples of differentiators include higher quality, better service, and cheaper or faster shipping.

Jot down the benefits of using your solution

Consider what challenges or pain points your customers have and how you are addressing those problems. Think about both the practical and psychological benefits your solution provides.

For example, if you’re a property management firm, you aren’t just buying and selling real estate on behalf of your customers. Hopefully, you also offer specific advice that makes them feel their money is safe and well-invested.

Reiterating exactly how you can make people’s lives better and more fulfilling will help you guide your value proposition clearly. 

Whether you’re on track to becoming a million-dollar company or you’re the proud owner of a startup, taking these measures will help you put together a compelling value proposition every time around.    

A Strong Value Proposition for a Strong Business

In the wide world of business – especially ecommerce – you only have a sliver of time to prove that you’re worth a customer’s attention, let alone worth their hard-earned money.

When it’s clearly defined and clearly communicated, a customer value proposition can be the make-or-break between winning a customer over and falling into obscurity.

What makes you so great? Why are you the better choice over all the others? Customers need to know these answers ASAP, and a strong value proposition is one of the best ways to do so.

Whether you’re just starting a new business or looking to improve and strengthen your existing business, take some time to think critically about the value that you provide your customers and how you deliver that value.

Do you have any favorite value proposition examples that we didn’t discuss? Let us know in the comments below.

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How to create a value proposition

Developing a strong value proposition is an essential component of successfully bringing a product to market .

The best value props are brief statements that outline what makes your product unique and necessary – and why your target audience should choose it. In this sense, it really can make the difference between a prospective customer giving you their business or choosing to go with your competitor.

Such is the importance of crafting powerful value propositions, we've created this complete guide that walks you through everything you need to know about value props. We'll begin by defining value propositions, before unpacking how to articulate your key differentiators via compelling statements that will resonate with your target audience.

By the end, you'll have an actionable framework and template for developing a value proposition that chimes with the wants and needs of your prospective customers – and, most importantly, drives conversions.

Whether you're looking to improve an existing value prop or create one from scratch for a new product or service, this guide will provide practical tips and examples to help you showcase the true value of your product.

Let's get started!

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition communicates how your product or service will benefit your customer. Your value prop should outline why your product is essential for your target segment , how it will solve their pain points, and why your product is more desirable than others on the market.

Time is of the essence when communicating your value to a prospective customer; research has suggested you have between 5 to 30 seconds to hold the attention of a visitor to your landing page before they take their custom elsewhere.

How to communicate your value proposition to prospects

Why is a value proposition important?

Your value proposition is important as it allows your customers to understand the value of your products. It also helps customers to see your product's benefits and helps persuade them that your product is the best option to solve their problems.

How does a value prop fit in your comms?

Value propositions can often be confused with other types of marketing communications. Let's examine the differences between value props, positioning statements, marketing messaging, taglines, mission statements, and brand promises.

Value proposition vs product positioning

First off, your value proposition is your promise to the customer. It's the promise of the value you're about to deliver. Positioning , on the other hand, is more about the position you want to occupy in the mind of the customer. A shortcut to that is the category:

• What category are you in?
• Are you a cybersecurity firm?
• Are you an HR SaaS company?
• Are you an infrastructure player?
• Are you a storage company?

Sometimes positioning is similar to a category in the mind of the customer. That's not a value prop, that's positioning.

Value proposition vs messaging

Messaging is all about communicating directly to specific target personas. In this sense, it's far more specific and targeted than a value proposition that might be more general. Where a value prop seeks to convey an overarching promise, marketing messaging is far more targeted and geared towards connecting with specific customer segments.

Value proposition vs tagline

Value propositions are often confused with taglines, but they're entirely different. A tagline is a short, catchy phrase that acts as a sales selling point. The value prop, by contrast, is the underlying promise of the value that will be delivered by the product.

Value proposition vs mission statement

A mission statement explains a brand’s purpose for existing whereas a value proposition shares the value of your product.

Value proposition vs brand promise

The brand promise focuses on the long-term meaning of the brand, while the value proposition focuses on products and features.

Which business functions use value propositions?

Value propositions are not intended to be used as-is by salespeople, or put up on websites to be used as slogans or taglines. Instead, it's important to think of value props as foundational statements that different business functions can use and build from.

Copywriters

Copywriters will take the value proposition and turn that into copy for your website.

Branding team

A branding team will start with the value prop when doing advertising, digital and media buys, or ad copy. Among other things, they're going to need personas , your branding, strategy, etc. But the value prop is used by those professionals.

Digital marketers

To create compelling and efficient digital marketing campaigns, you need to who you're targeting, and why that target audience should choose your product over those of your competitors. This information will all be contained within a powerful value proposition.

Graphic designers

Designers are going to want to create a visual representation of your value prop. Creative, different design logos, images, graphics, all those elements should reinforce your value proposition and they should be consistent. They are going to be consumers of your value prop.

Sales enablement

The sales enablement team will need to use the value prop for sales training materials, battlecards , and playbooks.

How to format a value proposition

There isn’t a universally accepted way of creating value propositions; what works for one company could be unsuitable for another.

However, while a value proposition can be presented in any number of ways, a basic formula applied by many companies includes:

• A sub-headline
• Key benefits of the product or service
• An accompanying image

When you’re creating your value proposition, it’s essential to write an eye-catching headline; on average, 8 out of 10 people will only read the headline , with just 2 out of 10 opting to read the rest. However, if your headline is enticing, this will prompt your readers to check out the rest of the content - you need to nail your messaging.

Headlines should be short, concise, and snappy, to grab the attention of your readers. This will entice them to read the sub-heading, in which you can explain the benefits of your product further. When the time does come to provide more information, hone in on the key features most relevant to your buyer personas - use this opportunity to pique their interest and identify with your key messaging.

Finally, include a carefully selected image to tie all the aforementioned components together and reinforce what you bring to the table. Don’t be influenced by aesthetics. Any image included should bring value and solidify your value proposition. For example, a picture of people using, and enjoying, your product.

3 key elements of a killer value proposition

The Aventi Group shares insights into elements of a great value prop.

"There are three things that are key if you're going to create a killer value prop, almost like a litmus test."

"What is the problem we're trying to solve? It's got to solve a specific job that a person is trying to achieve. On the customer side:

• What problem are we trying to solve?
• Is it really worth solving that problem?
• Is it nice to have?
• Is it a critical pain point?
• How high of a priority is it?"

"We also want the value prop to speak to why now? That's the case for change or the case for action.

"Though a lot of times customers are fine, don't be afraid to disrupt the status quo and make a move. A value proposition should be compelling, actionable, and urgent - if change is needed to make this happen, then so be it.

"It needs to convey some level of urgency, and maybe a little bit about the consequences of inaction. What if you don't move forward, what's at stake here?"

"The third thing is why us? We need to get the differentiator in the value prop because it's not enough to say why and why now you also want to distinguish why your company, and why your solution.

"You're going to need to make some claims that should be defensible, backed up by proof points, concrete and measurable. That helps to reinforce why we are the best option."

How to write a value proposition: example

The Aventi Group highlights some examples of value propositions.

"I'm going to give you two flavors, a short version, and then a long version. And I'm going to give you three specific client examples. These might be templates for you to think about."

Value proposition: facility management SaaS example

"The first example I'm going to use is a SaaS company. They're in the facility management software space, full disclosure, they're a client of ours called 4insite.

"They sell software to large organizations that have a lot of facility workers. Think of custodial staff, think of electricians, plumbers, landscapers, all those contract folks who come into buildings or facilities to maintain the facility."

The short version

"This is the short version of the value prop.

"4insite helps organizations connect, analyze, manage, and empower their frontline staff.

"That's very concrete, it may not sound exciting to you but I will tell you the persona we're speaking to is dealing with these issues here. Let's go through this one by one."

"Manual processes. The current pain is facility executives, VPs, directors are fed up with a lot of manual processes, very disconnected tools, managing all these workers and it could be literally hundreds of workers on site.

"With a pandemic going on there are extra concerns about safety and compliance. Unions are concerned about the health and wellbeing of the workers, so the why is very compelling, you can't have that kind of situation."

"So you need ideally a SaaS solution that is built specifically for facility management."

"Because you're losing customers, there are customers that are unhappy with the quality issues, the bathrooms aren't totally clean or the facilities are not being maintained or not safe and the facility companies are choosing other competitors.

"This gives you a little feeling about what the value prop looks like."

The long-form version

"I know this is a little bit of an eye chart so I'll just spend a moment to go through this.

"This is a tool that product marketing folks have used for decades. It's been around a long time, a Stanford professor. I think his name is Lynn Phillips. It originally coined the long-form value prop.

"When I was a HP executive, we were trained on this long-form tool. This is just the tool for product marketing folks, you don't necessarily need to share this out with everybody.

"In this example, I'm sharing with you 4insite, we start off with who are the target companies you're going after? Large organizations that have a large frontline staff, at least 50 of those. This is similar to the ideal customer profile.

"Who are they? These are companies that have some pain in quality, safety, compliance, union issues. This is the positioning, the category, 4insite is a facility management solution, a SaaS offering.

"That's the mental bucket we want customers to think, "Oh, you're a SaaS offering or software company, you're not a services company, you're a software company". That's the positioning. Now, this is what we're delivering, this is what 4insite does, it’s reporting, dashboard, mobile communications, all this stuff here.

"The differentiator here is versus manual tools, which are a pain in the neck, they lead to all kinds of quality problems, compliance problems, safety problems.

"And there's an option which sometimes customers have internally developed software so that's a competitor. That's the do-nothing scenario. That's the status quo scenario.

"The reason to go with 4insite is it optimizes that facility workflow so you can get higher quality, you can have higher quality, higher safety, higher compliance, these are the things that they care about - the outcomes.

"Notice, we don't talk about feature function, we're talking about outcomes, we're driving higher quality.

"That's one example of a long-form. Again, it's a bit pedantic, it takes a lot of work to go through this."

Value proposition: security software example

"This is a security software company, I'm going to do the same thing."

"Here's the short version of the value prop statement.

"A little context, Absolute is a security software company, if you have a Windows laptop, maybe it's a Dell, maybe it's an HP or Lenovo, it's very likely you have this software running on your laptop, it's at the BIOS level, it's down almost at the metal.

"Now, this software is super important because it manages and secures data, devices, and applications that are unbreakable. The keyword here is unbreakable.

"Endpoint means the device, that could be your laptop as an example. Sometimes your laptop is off the internet, and you're not online. Even in that scenario, this laptop is unbreakable. Let's go through our three whys."

"The first ‘why’ is customers are looking to protect their data. They don't want to be hacked, they don't want information to get out. They don't want their devices to get hacked.

"Ransomware is a big deal now, you've all heard about the SolarWind's hack and many hacks going on that are damaging. So companies/organizations are afraid of being hacked. That's a big reason."

"Why Absolute? The keyword is unbreakable. It really is unhackable because it's down at that almost metal level. It's at the BIOS level, which hackers can't get access to."

"I mean, can you afford to be hacked and wind up on the front page? You don't want to be the next story in the Wall Street Journal or online media. This is a real fear that a lot of chief information security officers have.

"They don't want the board coming to them saying why didn't you do something about this? So this is a super compelling solution and this is a compact value prop statement.

"How do we get to this?"

"Here's the long-form version, I'll walk you through that.

"At Absolute, they're targeting the IT organization, the IT Asset Management Director, all security operations professionals. Those are the ones whose neck's on the line. They're the ones who will get fired if there's a breach or they're the ones who will get promoted if their environment is really secure and very locked down.

"What kind of organization? Absolute is not targeting small businesses and customers they're really targeting the largest organizations with 1000s of users.

"Who specifically? It's the IT organizations that are struggling with compliance, how do you protect all those endpoints? An endpoint again, is a laptop, typically a laptop, iPod, your phone, any device where you're doing work.

"How do you guarantee 100% of those devices are secure and compliant? Well, Absolute, and this is the category remember, they're a firmware embedded application, they're software but they're firmware embedded, unlike enterprise software security, for example, or unlike a SaaS cloud pure plane solution, this is embedded application. That's the category, that's the positioning.

"What Absolute involves is it finds those endpoints that are noncompliant, puts them back into compliance, and repairs them. That's the job the customer is trying to do.

"The IT person is trying to make sure all these devices are getting back in compliance because a lot of times they fall out of compliance, they don't have the latest patches, they don't have the latest antivirus, they don't have the latest OS updates.

"That's the job the IT person is trying to do and unlike traditional security patches, a lot of times they fall out of working, when you go offline, those security patches are not enforced. They're not working. They're not effective, or they're costly.

"So what is key here is it's persistent meaning even if you're online, offline, you reboot your machine, no matter what that Absolute embedded application is running, it's unbreakable.

"That's a really powerful value proposition statement, this idea of unbreakability. That's the core of the message here, the core of the value proposition is it's unbreakable, and that ensures a resilient environment. So as customers are changing their desktops, things are happening, no matter what that device is locked down.

"That's the long-form value prop we used. And again, this is used only by the product marketing team, this long-form in order to help the copywriters, the designers, the sales enablement team also come up with the copy blocks that are necessary."

Value proposition: enterprise services example

"Here's the third one."

"This is a large corporation, Unisys, and this is one of their services offerings. It's called Workplace Solutions. It's not software, it's services. It's actually a set of capabilities.

"The idea here is to engage, empower, and transform the digital workforce. Now everyone nowadays is digital, we're all pretty digital warriors. Some companies are more digital and more reliant on productivity. Let's talk about the why."

"Lots of companies are investing heavily in remote access, digital, digital everything, digital workflows. It's key to stay ahead of your competition."

"So you need a company that is experienced, it’s objective. We are a service partner to help deploy this full digital workplace."

"Well, your competition is already moving to digital, they’ve already transformed their enterprise. So let us help you catch up and overcome and exceed your competition."

"This is what the product marketing team and we here at Aventi crafted.

"We start off with the target customer, the ideal customer profile, we are looking for large organizations that are super dependent on so-called knowledge workers. These are people who are primarily delivering information and analysis and you're hiring them for very much their brains.

"Where is that important? In banks, insurance companies, manufacturing companies, high tech, life sciences, pharmaceuticals, all those companies are relying on scientists, engineering, financial analysts, so super important to make them productive.

"Those companies we are targeting only the ones that are committed to digital transformation, they may even have a Chief Digital Transformation Officer. So we can look for clues that this target ICP - ideal customer profile, is going after digital transformation.

"What is Unisys digital workplace? It's a services offering, starting off from advisory to implementation into managed services. This has a special meaning for customers who really need help, they're understaffed, they don't have the right expertise, they're short on IT and they just really need help.

"That's where services come in. Unisys has a proven capability, the whole digital lifecycle. Unlike traditional IT outsources that may be offshore. I won't name names, but you can guess a lot of the traditional IT outsourcing companies. What Unisys specializes in is industry experience, they have deep experience with financial services, banking, manufacturing.

"They're also neutral, meaning they're not trying to push one software solution or set of software, they're really doing what's right for the customer. They're persona-based so there are different buyers within these enterprises. And they offer some pretty deep security.

"These are some of the differentiators, all of these, by the way, have proof points behind them.

"Lastly, who cares? So this is all great, but what impact is it going to have? This goes to the heart of the value prop, the value prop is about business value. We're going to drive higher productivity, and that's going to also improve their capital expenditure and operating expenses.

"You do want to catch the 'so'; 'so' is the business benefit - but why does this matter?

"Those are three long-form examples of customer value propositions."

More value proposition examples

What is Apple's value proposition?

What is Unbounce's value proposition?

What is Slack's value proposition?

A strong value proposition is essential for any company, and can be achieved by completing four steps:

Research your audience

If you don’t understand what’s motivating your audience, how can you produce a value proposition that’ll resonate with them and convince them to buy your product?

Researching the market will allow you to identify what kind of language is appropriate to include to ensure that you’re able to pinpoint the USP of your product effectively.

If you have an existing customer base, conduct customer and market research sessions. This will provide you with essential information on how your product is already helping them in their daily lives.

Always ask questions that’ll help you establish:

• The type of language you should be using - craft your messages with prospective customers in mind, and speak their language. For example, if your target segment is 16-24-year-olds, colloquial language would be justifiable. On the other hand, if you’re creating messaging for middle-aged professionals, this wouldn’t be appropriate.
• Their problems and pain points - You need to present yourself as the definitive solution to the problem. If a prospect doesn’t consider you to be the best option on the market, they’ll take their custom elsewhere.

In some instances, feedback from your customers may indicate what you initially considered to be your main selling point isn’t held in the same esteem among your customers, in which case, you need to reposition your product and reevaluate your initial messaging.

Create buyer personas

Buyer personas are crucial, as they help you understand your customers from a human perspective - what motivates them to purchase a product? What features do they value most? These questions offer the information you need to create a value proposition that resonates and leads to them purchasing your product.

How to create buyer personas

Your personas need to be built with real information from real people - using your gut instinct won’t do. And remember, creating personas is all about understanding audiences you already know want to buy from you; not people you wish would buy from you.

Buyer personas can be created in four steps:

Step 1: conduct thorough research

Start by sifting through your records to see what kind of information you’ve already got on your customers. It’s unlikely you’ll stumble across everything you need to build a robust persona, but at the very least it’ll give you a jump start.

Some other outlets to gather information include:

• Adding relevant fields into any forms on your website;
• Communicate with sales teams - they’re talking to these people day in, day out after all;
• Introducing useful questions to your customer onboarding process; and/or
• Interviewing existing customers face-to-face or over-the-phone - this option will usually provide you with the richest information.

Tip: if you’re struggling to get people to say ‘yes’ to an interview start by making it clear it’s not sales-driven, give them flexibility around days and times, and think about adding an incentive.

If you’re picking up insights from several different sources remember to create some sort of forum for it all to be collated - it doesn’t need to be complicated, something as simple as an Excel spreadsheet with clearly defined headings would do.

There isn’t a set number of people you need to speak to. The more the better, but, as a rule, for a persona to be considered credible you should aim for between 5 - 10 matching patterns.

Step 2: understand your aims

The two core areas you should be aiming to understand are:

• What problems people are trying to solve, and
• What they want to achieve.

This kind of intel is golddust for your marketing efforts because it enables you to relate to their motivations and tailor-make your proposition to their wants and needs.

As well as A and B above though, get around a table at the outset and think about anything specific to your business that would come in handy - the last thing you want is to realize you missed something key later down the line.

Step 3: ask the right questions

There are endless questions you could ask, but here are a few ideas to help you hit various touchpoints and create a holistic picture:

Step 4: collate your learnings

By this point, you should have insights coming out of your ears. To turn them into something actionable and meaningful, start by grouping common characteristics - it’s important not to rush this stage or make any hasty generalizations.

Go through everything with a fine-tooth comb and only solidify an assumption if you’ve got enough evidence to go off.

To help you get from A to B, here’s an overview of the types of areas you’ll want your personas to cover:

• Job title and decision-making authority
• Gender, age, and geographic location
• Communication preferences
• What they’re struggling with
• Their overarching aims
• How your product or service helps
• How you should position your marketing messaging.

One of your buyer personas might look like this:

When you’ve identified your target audience, you need to develop your product messaging and product positioning . Your positioning statement will be used to communicate your value and highlight the benefits of your product, above those of your competitors.

Be sure to answer key questions, such as:

• What can you offer your customers?
• What value do you bring to the table?
• How will you solve the customer’s pain points?

Complete competitive intelligence

Never assume you’re the market leader. You need to conduct thorough competitive intelligence to establish what other businesses are doing, and if they’re offering something different, you need to develop your product to surpass the competition.

If a customer has a choice between two competing products doing the same thing, you’re relying on the toss of a coin. However, if you’re offering a differentiating feature, this can easily set you apart and see company revenue and customer retention increase, with customer churn falling.

Product marketers shared their competitive intelligence tips :

“Don’t be afraid to get help from other parts of your organization. Being able to get help from a Sales Engineer or a Developer while you’re reading technical documentation can save a ton of time and help you better understand different personas .”

Mindy Regnell, Marketing Insights Manager at BigCommerce

“Job postings reveal a lot about your competitor's product/growth strategy. They’ll often disclose which areas they're trying to invest in on a technology perspective or which customer segments they're trying to grow the business in the most.”

Julian Clarke, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Team Lead at Lattice

“Spend time getting to know the competitor from all angles: explore their website and gated assets as if you were a prospect, but also understand from their existing customers if the true product experience matches the initial marketing.”

Megan Magee, Product Marketing Manager at ServiceNow

“Start with your value proposition not mentioned by you, but by your customer. From there, understand why you don’t live up to that value proposition and where you can improve. Know your segment, know your buyer and persona.”

Hien Phan, Director of Product Marketing at Formation

“Social media is a goldmine of information.”

Avi Goldstein, Manager of Vendor Relations and Product Marketing at Hertz Furniture

“Keep an eye on your peers, but don't lose sight of why your company is unique. That's the story you want to focus on getting in front of your customers. We've found that when we check all of the right boxes, our customers spend less time comparing us to others and more time asking us what else can we do together?”

Jessica Munoz, Senior VP of Product Marketing at LiveIntent, Inc.

“Hearing what customers say has been the most fruitful competitor intel - using tools like Gong and G2 help to gather that info.”

Andrew McCotter-Bicknell, Product Marketing Manager at ZoomInfo

“Read the cons on all the reviews - even the 4-star review has something they don't like. I analyze this for trends so we can rebuke any objections to a sales pitch.”

Maureen West, Director of Product Marketing at 6sense

“Communicate with your customers who have switched from a competitor. They're the source and can articulate pain points which are more valuable than market-facing positioning from the competitor.”

Miles Price, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Sailthru

Identify the main benefit of your product

Having identified your buyer persona and competitors, you need to establish the main benefit of your product.

In some cases, there may be multiple reasons you think a customer should use your product or service.

For example, Uber acknowledges the frustrations associated with ordering a ‘traditional’ cab, before highlighting why users should use their app instead. They have three features that could be deemed USPs: a car comes directly to you, your driver knows exactly where to go, payment is cashless. However, the collective USP is that commuters can order a cab at the touch of a button - that’s what users are interested in most.

Statistics make the world of difference. Go above and beyond and provide specific stats to demonstrate how purchasing your product will enhance their lives and/or business.

Let’s stick with Uber to explain our point. If they said “Uber reduced commuting time in 2020” this doesn’t carry as much weight as “in 2020, Uber helped over 93 million users per month reduce their journey time by an average of 15 minutes”. The difference is there for all to see; statistics help you to express concrete value.

These four steps are key to creating a value proposition that ties together your customer needs, what the market offers, and what you’re offering.

How to test a value proposition

When you’ve created your value proposition, it’s important to test it to establish whether it resonates with your audience. Complete a test run by following these five simple steps:

• Define who you are targeting and what benefits you are bringing them
• Build a simple landing page
• Set up a cold email / LinkedIn outreach campaign
• Launch outreach to them
• Evaluate if the offer resonates or fails

A cold campaign serves as the true acid test for your value proposition; if you’re able to convert prospects you’ve never approached before, the chances are you’ve created a value proposition ticking all the right boxes.

Judge your value prop with an 8-point test

The Aventi group also shares some ways to test the impact of your value proposition.

"Now, one way to test your value proposition is we have a little eight-point test here. Eight questions to ask yourself after you've created the long-form version of the value prop or the short term, does it speak to a specific customer segment?"

1) Is it speaking to a specific customer segment or it it too generic to be useful?

"Don't be generic, like all large enterprises, we need to be specific, what industry, what size organization? What are some of the pain points? We don't want to be generic, we want to be specific."

2) Is it customer focused?

"Is it customer-specific? Is it all about you, the vendor or is it all about the customer and their pain point?"

3) Will it resonate with the target customer? How do we know?

"Does it resonate? This is where testing is important, we need to know that this value prop actually is resonating. How do you know?

"Because customers have told you, you vetted this with at least 10 quality qualitative interviews and maybe hundreds of quantitative surveys."

4) Does it differentiate from competitors including the "status quo?"

"Differentiation - make sure you clearly state including the status quo, including the do-nothing scenario where the customer thinks it's a pain but it's not enough to go do a purchase and then deployment, we don't want to go through the headache.

"Differentiation is important, sometimes your number one competitor is “do nothing”. It's people just saying I'm good enough."

5) Is it believable?

"Is it credible?"

6) Is it emotional - can a customer connect with it?

"Is it emotional? By the way, a lot of times I see value props that are really engineering, very heady, very intellectual, that's great. But what drives the buying process, the buying journey, the buyers’ journey is often the emotional driver.

"Sometimes in the security world, I deal with a lot of security, software companies, cybersecurity, and fear is a big driver. You don't want to be talking about fear but you want to understand that the chief information security officer, the IT folks, they're afraid of getting hacked.

"And that emotion is important to understand and acknowledge in your process. Sometimes emotion, maybe excitement, and maybe power or confidence. Tap into the emotion in your value prop."

7) It is using customer language, not jargon?

"Sometimes we tend to speak jargon, I deal with a lot of B2B technology companies and they use a tonne of acronyms. Try to stay away from that, use words that customers use. Be careful about that."

8) It is clear, compelling, and credible?

"Lastly, is it compelling? Is it credible? Is it clear? Your message testing will really confirm that."

Looking for further inspiration? We spoke with Nisha Goklaney, Marketing Director at Sage , who gave her perspective on how to create a killer value proposition for your customer.

Get expert advice on key topics such as:

• How to create a value proposition framework
• Examples of value propositions that work
• Essential steps to consider when getting started with value propositions

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Unique Value Proposition: How to Create a UVP (With 7 Examples)

Your brand’s value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered. It’s the primary reason a prospect should buy from you.

It’s also the #1 thing that determines whether people will bother reading more about your product or hit the back button. On your site, your value proposition is the main thing you need to test—if you get it right, it will be a huge boost.

In fact, if I could give you only one piece of conversion optimization advice, “test your value proposition” would be it.

The less known your company is, the better your value proposition needs to be.

Table of contents

People should read and understand your unique value proposition., use the right language for your unique value proposition., what the value proposition is not, the structure of a unique value proposition, why the presentation of your value proposition matters, 1. campaign monitor, 4. evernote, 1. cloudflare, 2. continuum financial, use “boosters” for your value proposition, example of a value proposition “booster”, 1. message testing, 2. a/b testing, 3. pay-per-click advertising, what is a unique value proposition (uvp).

A unique value proposition (UVP) is a clear statement that explains the benefits of your product, how it solves customers’ problems, why it is different from the rest, and why customers should buy it.

In marketing, an ideal unique value proposition must provide the following:

• Relevancy. Explain how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situation.
• Quantified value. Deliver specific benefits.
• Differentiation . Tell the ideal customer why they should buy from you and not from the competition.

Your value proposition has to be the first thing visitors see on your homepage, but it should also be visible at all major entry points to the site.

It’s not just for aesthetics or to placate a CEO or copywriter. Ultimately, it can improve your customer lifetime value . When I reviewed a bunch of websites , a missing or poor value proposition was one of the most common shortcomings. The value propositioning definition includes 3 important factors; make sure you cover all of them in yours.

You can also check out the Pe:p Show discussing value propositions .

A value proposition is something real humans are supposed to understand. It’s for people to read. Here’s an example of what a value proposition is not supposed to be like:

Revenue-focused marketing automation & sales effectiveness solutions unleash collaboration throughout the revenue cycle

Would you be able to explain the offer to your friend or how they’d benefit? Didn’t think so. Unfortunately, it’s no joke. Such meaningless “jargon propositions” are abundant. Avoid blandvertising at all costs.

Your value proposition needs to be in the language of the customer (informed by customer research and buyer intelligence ). It should join the conversation that’s already going on in the customer’s mind. To do that, you need to know the language your customers use to describe your offering and how they benefit from it.

You cannot guess what the right language is. The way you speak about your services is often very different from how your customers describe them. The answers are outside your office. You have to interview your customers to find it out, or use a messaging research tool like Wynter .

It’s not a slogan or a catch phrase. This is not a value proposition:

L’Oréal. Because we’re worth it.

It’s not a positioning statement. This is not a value proposition:

America’s #1 Bandage Brand. Heals the wound fast, heals the hurt faster.

A positioning statement is a subset of a value proposition, but it’s not the same thing.

The value proposition is usually a block of text (a headline, sub-headline, and one paragraph of text) with a visual (photo, hero image, graphics).

There is no one right way to go about it. I suggest you start with the following formula:

• Headline. What is the end-benefit you’re offering in one short sentence? It can mention the product and/or customer. Make it an attention grabber.
• Sub-headline or a 2–3 sentence paragraph . A specific explanation of what you do/offer, for whom, and why it’s useful.
• 3 bullet points. List the key benefits or features.
• Visual. Images communicate much faster than words. Show the product image , the hero shot, or an image reinforcing your main message.

Note: Having solid product images are just one piece of the ecommerce pie. You’ll find 247 ecommerce guidelines in this research-based report.

Evaluate your current value proposition by checking whether it answers the questions below:

• What product or service is your company selling?
• What is the end-benefit of using it?
• Who is your target customer for this product or service?
• What makes your offering unique and different?

Use the headline/paragraph/bullets/visual formula to structure the answers. (Here’s a value proposition worksheet you might find useful.)

What makes a great value proposition

The best value proposition is clear : What is it? For whom? How is it useful? If those questions are answered, you’re on the right path. Always strive for clarity first.

If your value proposition makes people go “hmph?”, you’re doing it wrong. If they have to read a lot of text to understand your offering, you’re doing it wrong. Yes, a sufficient amount of information is crucial for conversions, but you need to draw them in with a clear, compelling value proposition first.

Research about value propositions in marketing  says that the key challenge companies have is identifying an effective value proposition, followed by communicating it clearly.

What makes a good value proposition?

• Clarity! It’s easy to understand.
• It communicates the concrete results a customer will get from purchasing and using your products and/or services.
• It says how it’s different or better than the competitor’s offer.
• It avoids hype (like “Never seen before!” or “Amazing miracle product!”), superlatives (“best”) and business jargon (“value-added interactions”).
• It can be read and understood in about 5 seconds.

Also, in most cases, there’s a difference between the value proposition for your company and your product. You must address both.

Original value proposition research by CXL showed that users:

• Noticed the value proposition more quickly when it had more text (i.e. took up more real estate on the page).
• Spent longer on a value proposition as opposed to elsewhere on the page when there was more to read.
• Recalled more services offered by the site when more services were listed.
• Described more website advantages when there were more features and benefits available to read.
• Preferred information in the form of bulleted lists.
• Preference for page design was influenced by which variation was originally seen.

A key role for the value proposition is to set you apart from the competition. Most people check out 4–5 different options/service providers before they decide. You want your offering to stand out in this important research phase.

7 great unique value propositions examples

It’s tough to find perfect value proposition examples. Probably because it’s hard to create a great one. I find flaws or room for improvement with most value propositions I come across.

I’m also fully aware that I’m not the ideal customer for many of the examples shown below, and my critiques are educated hypotheses that should be tested.

Here are some good examples along with my comments:

• Very clear what Campaign Monitor does (email marketing).
• Includes the benefits to using it in the heading.
• Paragraph expands on the benefits of using the product.
• Relevant images that support text-based claims.

• It’s clear what Stripe is and for whom.
• Specific benefit-oriented paragraph.
• Relevant visuals.

• Clear statement about what Trello does for you in the heading.
• Elaboration in the subheading.
• Relevant images that show collaboration in action.

• Heading speaks to larger benefits for your life.
• Subheading takes you into how Evernote delivers those benefits.
• Clear call to action.

• Headline promises that Square will underpin your entire business.
• Lead paragraph expands on the features offered.
• Relevant image.

• Clear and succinct heading that explains what Zoom does for you.
• Lead paragraph supports the heading’s premise.

• The headline is okay, but it could be clearer (i.e. “Keep track of your laptop, phone or tablet. Get it back when it gets stolen or lost.”)
• The following paragraph does a good job explaining how Prey is useful.
• Offers an immediate test option (up the top).

Poor value proposition examples, and their updates

Some lessons from the department of “Don’t do this!”

Here’s Cloudflare ‘s evolution…

• Awful clarity: “Helping Build a Better Internet”? Nobody will understand what that means—nor does that solve anyone’s problem.
• Subheading offers some clarity and detail, but that info should be in the headinng.
• Image looks like a stock photo.

• Still lacking clarity in the heading as to what benefits it’s offering.
• Subheading is a lot more benefit-focused than the previous version.
• Image is at least custom and applicable, but the placement of text around it is odd and doesn’t really fit.

Here’s Continuum Financial ‘s evolution…

• No proper value proposition in place at all—the headline congratulates themselves on a five-year anniversary.
• Awkward phrasing if not flat-out incorrect (“…we look forward continuing to deliver…” and “What stage of your financial journey are you at?”
• No imagery above the fold; those below are stock photos.

• The heading at least refers to value the company can offer: financial happiness.
• The subheading expands on the heading: the company offers trustworthy, simplified financial assistance.
• Background image might not seem immediately applicable, but it alludes to the results people often hope for when reaching their financial goals.

So how do you make your offer unique? Often, it’s hard to spot anything unique about your offering. It requires deep self-reflection and discussion.

How to write a unique value proposition

If you can’t find anything, you’d better create something. Of course, the unique part needs to be something customers actually care about. There’s no point being unique for the sake of being unique (e.g. “the ball bearings inside our bicycles are blue”). Even if what you sell isn’t unique , you can still come up with a great value proposition.

Here are two articles that can help you find a “theme” or angle for your value proposition:

• Value Propositions That Work
• The Five Propositions that Help Companies Create Value for their Customers

Remember: You don’t need to be unique to the whole world, just in the customer’s mind.   The closing of a sale takes place in a customer’s mind, not out in the marketplace among the competition.

Sometimes, little things tip the decision in your favor. If all major things are pretty much the same between you and your competitors, you can win by offering small value-adds. I call them boosters.

These things work well against competitors who don’t offer them. Boosters can be things like:

• Free shipping;
• Fast shipping/Next-day shipping;
• Free bonus with a purchase;
• Free setup/installation;
• No setup fee;
• No long-term contract, cancel any time;
• License for multiple computers (vs. 1);
• (Better than) money-back guarantee;
• A discounted price (for a product);
• Customizable.

You get the idea. Think what small things you could add that wouldn’t cost you much but could be attractive to some buyers.

Make sure the booster is visible with the rest of the value proposition.

Notice the “Free Shipping” sign in the top left? That’s a booster.

How to test your value proposition

You definitely have to test your value proposition. How? There are three main ways.

By far the best way to test your value proposition is to put it in front of the very people you’re trying to market to, and get their perception on it. This is what message testing is for. It tells you exactly what your ideal target customers think:

• Do they find it clear?
• Is it relevant to them? Do they get it’s for them?
• Most importantly: do they want the value promised? Does it make them go “I want that”?
• And finally, is it differentiated? Is it clear why choose you over alternatives?

You will get rich qualitative information on how/where it’s falling short, so you can improve it.

The best way to conduct message testing is with a tool like Wynter .

Another good way to test your value prop is to craft two candidates (or more, if you have tons of traffic) and split test them. This will take at least 4 weeks on most sites, and requires a minimum of 500 signups/conversions per month. (You need to do proper sample size calculations upfront to know exactly how many).

The limitation here is that A/B testing will only be able to tell you if B is better than A, and by how much. It tells you nothing about the ‘why’. It offers no insight into how to improve your value proposition (unlike message testing).

Learn how to run A/B tests effectively .

Another way to go about it is to use Google Ads or Facebook Ads . This can be costly and takes at least a week or two.

Split test ads with different value propositions that target the same customer. The ad with a higher click-through rate signals a possibly better attention grabber and interest generator, but on the downside, it doesn’t necessarily mean higher sales conversions.

Send the traffic to a corresponding landing page and test conversions, too.

You need a value proposition and you need to communicate it clearly on all the main entry pages: homepage, product pages, category pages, etc.

If you don’t state why users should buy from you, you will lose most of them. To craft a great value proposition:

• Focus on clarity above all else.
• Use the headline, sub-headline, bullets, and image formula.
• Test, test, test.

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Peep Laja is the founder of CXL. He's a renowned conversion optimization champion and was nominated as the most influential CRO expert in the world.

After setting up and running Speero (previously CXL Agency) for five years, he started CXL Institute, where data-driven marketers get trained.

Over the last 20 years, Peep has worked in web development, marketing consulting, B2B sales, SEO, PPC, and SaaS.

Join the conversation Add your comment

great, this really helped me for my marketing class. thanks!

Good post. A value proposition is not for products or services only. In the same manner you can create what is called Professional Value Proposition. To do so, answer the following three questions: 1.Why can I be useful? What business driver should I respond to? 2.How do I proceed? Which area should I focus on? 3.What results can I deliver? For what improvement? To learn more http://blog.instarlink.com/en/content/generate-value-proposition

Well written and highly useful post.

Thank you for sharing

Thanks for this post it was brilliant to see a visual representation of the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to UVP’s. It’s been great to see examples of a UVP translated into website design. We’ve been getting caught up and stuck around our UVP and this has really helped.

We’ll come back and share our landing page when we’re less embarrassed by it!

Janine and Jo

great ! nice information for me

Google ventures said explain your value proposition in 5 seconds. I searched how to do that and found your article. Fantastic advice and 100% rebrandable :) Great links too – thanks

fabulous..!!!

I have read so many content regarding the blogger lovers but this article is actually a good post, keep it up.

Wow this might be one of the best posts I’ve read on value statement optimization. Simple, easy to read, and no longer than it needed to be. Hope to put some of this into effect soon for our own startup!

Amazing Post again.. just can’t get off this blog.. this is my 5th article in a row.. great sensible, useful content with lot of case studies and research.

I wanted to send this to my staff and some clients. I didn’t: “You have to present your value proposition as the first thing the visitors see on your home page, but should be visible in all major entry points of the site.”

Its educative,informatory,and well advising for right decision. continue with good job. kind regards.

I just wanted to thank you. I am in the web design industry, and my home page introduction isn’t really talking to anyone. I don’t have a value proposition on my home page, the the message is weak overall. Funny enough, I checked my competition, and they are the same! This info is really going to help point me in the right direction. I appreciate it.

This is very detail and great value for creating the value statement! Excellent work.

Really, really detailed, meaty article. More copywriters and designers should read this article. I must have read it 5 times, just to grasp a little more of what you where saying. Thanks to you I just increased my launch page skills a few points.

Quite informative! I really like the comparative analysis, it really highlights key elements of a good value proposition

Great article. Great Examples. Got some work to do now.

My site is kind of embarassing and to this end we are looking at a total update in our approach. Most of what is on this site to be removed to better focus on what we do in the Real Estate industry, ie. Sell, buy and consult.

A very good post, Peep. I’ve really got down what a homepage needs to have.

Teaching a concept through good and bad examples are always informative and entertaining as well. I believe that creating a good value proposition can help us in researching and selecting the right keywords for our target audience. Next, it also helps in creating content that address their problems. Finally, providing a series of solutions that make them want to buy our products or services.

I use a lot of explanations to clients as to why don’t ‘Welcome to…’ gleefully looking forward to using yours! :-) many thanks

Great article! Articles on UVP generally focus on SaaS businesses and don’t give much attention to e-commerce, so thanks for including a solid e-commerce example with Down & Feather.

informative article. keep it up. i’m following each of your article because it might help me creating my next website.

Found the article very helpful. I am designing a website and these tips are handy and useful. Thanks for publishing.

Very helpful article Peep. I have been focusing much more on conversions for websites and you clearly explained what a value proposition is. The examples you provided made it very clear. I’m going to check out some more of your posts. Thanks for your help :)

A strong value proposition is specific, often citing numbers or percentages. It may include a quick synopsis of your work with similar customers as a proof source and demonstration of your capability. It’s outcome focused and stresses the business value of your offering.

An excellent article! Great examples of what to do and what NOT to do. After 3 years online, I am finally learning how important a UVP really is.

Well done. Too often I see companies – especially young tech companies – loading up with proposition with tech jargon. We really have to get to the issues our customer cares about before they will listen.

Awesome reading, clear and makes sense. I am a full time student and am writing an assignment where I have to put value proposition of my product. After reading this article, I am much clear how I should frame my value proposition. Great work. Thank you so much.

Extremely in depth article I must say. Will definitely take it into account and do lots of testing. Should be interesting!

Those are useful value proposition examples indeed. I know there are plenty of such articles on the Net (I mean helpful ones), but there should be even more! Those are invaluable to beginner bloggers. Thanks!

Great post… I will definitely use these tactics as it relates to my endeavor I am working on.

It would be perfect to see you giving the alternatives to L’Oreal and Band-Aid.

Your website’s usability sucks. You have zoom disabled for mobile devices. Did it ever occur to you that some people may want/need to zoom? Other than that your content is good.

Really great and useful content here, thanks for putting this together :)

As always, great post Peep.

But I am wondering, could you give some examples of how eCommerce sites can do value propositioning great? If you sell, for example, archery gear, what would you do?

Excellent and decent post. I found this much informative, as to what I was exactly searching for. Thanks for such post and please keep it up.

Great article, I learned a lot.

Combined with your article about how worthless carousels/sliders were, I created a new graphic on our site. I would love any quick feedback: http://www.designpanoply.com

The slider is still there, but doesn’t play automatically, and the arrows pop up when it gets hovered over.

Keep up the great content :)

My coach just brought out the unique value proposition for my site and I came here to find out more about UVP. Great content and very useful to help write the website copy. I think I have my UVP figured out but if anyone would like to comment on it please email me.

The explaination is very useful for a business. There is this learning that could acquired by reading the article.

Great stuff, Peep.

I was really struggling to create something super exciting and totally unique but the point about using small boosters to make our value proposition unique helped a lot.

Also the distinction between what is actually unique with what is unique in our customers’ minds.

We have implemented a bunch of your tips for our new website’s value proposition.

Great post Peep. I probably have read this at least 10 times by now, love the visuals and analysis.

I thought your article was super valuable and wanted to share it. I used it in my recent post: Step-By-Step Guide: Create A Unique Selling Proposition for Your Landing Page ( http://blog.usefedora.com/create-unique-selling-proposition-for-landing-page )

This will be very useful & helps us to be competitive.

Great points and such an important topic. Having the right value proposition can really get your business going. Customization is the key.

Great article.

Explain in a good way to understand.

In Brazil, brands have a poor understanding in value proposition.

thanks for the book!

Thanks for one of the best summaries of what a value statement should be and Not BE!

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8 Powerful Value Proposition Examples (& How To Write Yours)

Are you looking for value proposition examples to help you create your own compelling message?

Your value proposition is what gets your potential customers and clients to take notice.

It’s your brand’s first impression.

And it’s critical to nail this message if you want to successfully market and sell your products or services.

Before we get into the 8 value proposition examples, let’s cover the basics.

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a short statement that explains who you work with and the value you provide to them.

It is NOT a guarantee or a contract.

It is a marketing message that gets your ideal clients to take notice and wonder “how do they do that?”

Our Version Of The Value Proposition: Magnetic Messaging

Inside of our Clarity Coaching Framework , we teach Magnetic Messaging. It’s the consultant’s version of the value proposition.

Here’s the formula:

I help [WHO] to [solve WHAT problem] so they can [see WHAT results]. My [WHY choose me]…

Let’s break each part of the formula down.

• WHO : Who you serve.
• WHAT (Problem) : What problem you solve for them.
• WHAT (Result) : What result you create for them.
• WHY : Why they should choose you.

This formula is so effective because it covers everything your prospective clients want to know before they take a deeper look at you and your business.

When done right, it will attract potential clients like a magnet. It’s one of the most important elements of any consultant’s website .

Now, let’s dive into the examples.

NOTE: The list below is in no particular order.

Six-Figure Blueprint

1. female forward.

Value Proposition

Helping Brands Grow With Women: We help CPG brands sell more effectively to women and achieve a 300% ROI by positioning your brand to appeal to women.

• WHO : Consumer packaged goods brands.
• WHAT (Problem) : Sell more effectively to women.
• WHAT (Result) : Achieve a 300% ROI.
• WHY : 20 years of experience leading brand-building strategy and activation across a range of categories and business models.

Why It Works

Women drive 70-80% of consumer purchasing decisions. Making your brand more appealing to women has a huge payoff. Amanda, who has decades of experience doing just that, has tied all of these facts together into a clear and compelling value proposition. You can imagine that if you were running a CPG brand and you read this message, you’d be intrigued. And that’s the job of your value proposition: to make your target market interested and want to learn more.

Here’s what the President of Female Forward, Amanda Hill, has to say about the power of specificity in your value proposition:

That leads to the second thing, which is when you understand your consumer, you develop a strategy or choices to win with them. Oftentimes, what I see in smaller companies is they think they’ve got to be all things to all people and they have to do everything. The fact is in a smaller company, you have less resources so you have even more choices. You have to do the opposite.

In order to inform those priorities or choices, you have to understand your target audience. That target audience understanding is what helps shine a light on what are the most critical areas you should invest in or what type of communication you should have for your business. They’re related to me but I think those tenets are true no matter if you’re a one-person show or a one-woman show like I am or whether you are a billion-dollar business is understanding your target audience and using that insight to set priorities or choices for your investments.

(Learn more about Amanda’s business: Leaving a Multi-Billion Dollar Company to Start a Consulting Business with Amanda Hill )

2. How To SaaS

Build an automated demand generation engine: We help SaaS companies build a high-performance marketing system to drive top-line revenue growth and enterprise value. We’ve helped scale marketing for companies of all sizes, from $5M in ARR to upwards of $300M.

• WHO : SaaS (Software as a service) companies
• WHAT (Problem) : Build a high-performance marketing system.
• WHAT (Result) : Drive top-line revenue growth and enterprise value.
• WHY : Have helped scale marketing for companies of all sizes.

SaaS companies want to grow. Many SaaS companies have underutilized marketing as a channel for growth. That’s where How to SaaS comes in. By helping SaaS companies scale up their marketing, they help them drive revenue growth and the overall value of the business. Since many SaaS companies eventually look to sell, every word of How to SaaS’s value proposition is incredibly compelling.

Here’s what the founder of How to SaaS, Shiv Narayanan, has to say about his firm’s value proposition:

It comes down to building a differentiated position. We are a marketing strategy consulting firm, specifically for B2B companies. We work with high-level investors that are buying and selling companies for hundreds of millions of dollars.

There are plenty of marketing agencies out there that can, for example, set up your Google Ads for you. If that’s the work that we try to chase, then we’re going to be playing in a commoditized market. The way to win is by lowering your price. As a consultant, that’s the last place you want to be. You don’t want to compete on price. You want to compete on value, and then the price is no longer a factor because you want to be operating in high margins. By starting there, we set ourselves up for success.

(Learn more about Shiv’s business: Generating $2M in Consulting Revenue in 18 Months with Shiv Narayanan )

3. Build Up Advisory Group

We help brave philanthropies and nonprofits scale their impact by strengthening their grant making and organizational structuring.

• WHO : Brave philanthropies and non-profits.
• WHAT (Problem): Strengthening their grantmaking and organizational structuring.
• WHAT (Result): Scale their impact.
• WHY : For 15 years, Nic, our founder and CEO, has produced similar results for several international, multi-billion-dollar philanthropies and nonprofits.

Philanthropies and nonprofits struggle with aspects of their organizations just like businesses do. And if you can help them solve those problems, many of them have budgets to hire nonprofit consultants to help . Build Up Advisory group targets these non-profits, and as a result, has developed into a successful non-profit consulting business.

Here’s what the founder and CEO of Build Up Advisory Group, A Nicole Campbell , has to say about creating a value proposition that speaks to non-profits:

You have to be clear on the kinds of nonprofits that you’re working with, because that category of nonprofits is big category of organizations. There are lots of different types of nonprofit organizations. There are hospitals that are nonprofit organizations, and they are multibillion-dollar enterprises. There are the local place-based non-profits that may have a budget of $5,000 for the organization. You have to be clear on the kinds of non-profits that you want to work with, and then the value that you want to offer to them or that you can offer to them.

A nonprofit is like any other organization in that if you offer them something of value, they’re able to then say, “Here’s the investment that we’re willing to make in order to receive that value.” I’ve been able to work very closely with nonprofit organizations. I’ve worked almost primarily with grantmaking organizations. I’m clear on the value that I can provide to those organizations. Getting clear on what are their needs and what’s the value that you can provide to them will help you clarify, “These are the nonprofit organizations that I’ll be able to work with.

(Learn more about Nic’s business: How To Price High-Value Consulting Services with A. Nicole Campbell )

4. Software Pricing Partners

Software Pricing Partners helps you develop innovative pricing strategies that delight customers and derange competitors while minimizing risk at every stage of the pricing process.

• WHO : Software companies.
• WHAT (Problem) : Developing pricing strategies.
• WHAT (Result) : Delight competitors and derange competitors.
• WHY : Minimizes risk at every stage.

Pricing software is notoriously difficult . Software Pricing Partners not only helps software companies solve this challenge but generate more revenue as a result. With a crystal clear target market (software companies) and by solving a problem the market wants to solve (pricing), this is a powerful value proposition. The consulting firm’s name even implies the value proposition, a fantastic branding and positioning strategy:

Here’s what Chris Mele, Managing Partner of Software Pricing Partners, has to say about their value proposition:

We don’t try to do everything. We beat all of the name-brand firms, not all the time, but we have a nice hit rate with going toe to toe with 2,000, 3,000, 5,000 person consultancies. Why? It’s because of that singular focus. We didn’t water down with all this other stuff. You’ll never hear us on the phone mixing and matching and saying, “We’re going to do a willingness to pay survey. No, that’s a B2C. We’re going to do a conjoint analysis. We do B2B.”

“When you peg that stake in the ground and you have those marching orders, it gets rid of all those superfluous noises on the perimeter. Your message that you deliver to the customers that you want to attract, the ones that you’ve chosen to focus on is light years ahead of the watered-down competitors.

(Learn more about Chris’ business: How to Charge What You’re Worth with Chris Mele )

5. Mark Treichel

Helping credit union CEOs achieve the best possible examination results so they save time and money.

• WHO : Credit Union CEOs.
• WHAT (Problem) : Achieve the best examination results.
• WHAT (Result) : So they save time and money.
• WHY : “He knows how NCUA thinks and why they think it. He knows the examination process inside and out. He knows how to communicate and negotiate with NCUA. He knows how to get NCUA to YES instead of NO.”

With a clear ideal client, problem that you solve, result that you create, and point of differentiation, marketing and sales become much easier. Mark Treichel’s value proposition is the perfect example. It’s simple, clear, and leaves no room for ambiguity — and he’s got the experience to back it up. AIm for this level of clarity with your value proposition, and it will serve you well.

Here’s what Mark has to say about using his value proposition to market and sell his consulting services:

We jumped into it with imperfect action. I learned at NCUA, your line is imperfect action. The one from my quote list is, “Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.” When you said it, I was like, “I’ve lived that.” I got out there. I started communicating with some emails and with some posts on LinkedIn. Immediately, I started getting conversations and those conversations started off. I’ve never been in sales. I guess I’ve been a salesman selling ideas to the NCUA board or to my staff but never where I felt like I was selling myself. I had to get used to that. The conversations got easier and the clients started coming in.

You said, “Once you identify that perfect client, they have to know you exist. If they don’t know you exist, they’re not going to hire you.” That was like a lightning bolt. I got to get out there. When I used to have to do speeches, I would try and boil complex things down into simple short messages.

(Learn more about Mark’s business: Consulting on Wheels: Building a Consulting Business from an RV )

6. GrowthHit

Your External Growth Team: We grow sales by running data-driven growth experiments for Shopify, eCommerce, SaaS, & lead generation companies.

• WHO : Shopify, eCommerce, SaaS, & lead-generation companies.
• WHAT (Problem) : Growth experiments and marketing.
• WHAT (Result) : Grow sales.
• WHY : We’ve worked with or taught over 125 companies. We have helped startups raise over $40M in funding and helped companies generate over $247M in revenue from tracked experiments.

If you’re marketing consulting or sales consulting, your clients care about one thing above all else: results. That’s what GrowthHit’s value proposition is built on: they can get you results — and they can prove it with the data. Although their WHO includes multiple market verticals, it still works due to the power of the problem they solve, the results they create, and their why, which differentiates them from many other marketing consulting firms.

Here’s what Jim says to consultants who want to use their value propositions strategically in their marketing and sales process.

If you can pinpoint your persona, I would want to try and get an exact customer list of who are the heads of marketing, and the CEOs. I would start doing pre ads to them. I would then do a cold email outreach strategy and because cold email is super annoying, I would make it benefit-focused. We’ll do a free audit, teardown, or whatever that is.

The other thing is I would also be looking at what tools are they using, what newsletters do they subscribe to, and who are the thought leaders? How can I attach myself to them so I can do a webinar or do some content series with them? That would be something I would be doing if I’m a consulting firm.

(Learn more about Jim’s business: The Consultant’s Guide to Growth Marketing with Jim Huffman )

7. TIG Brands

We are focused on helping natural product brands grow. We position them to raise capital, prove their growth hypothesis, build community, and scale.

• WHO : Natural Product Brands.
• WHAT (Problem) : Growth.
• WHAT (Result) : Raise capital, prove their growth hypothesis, build community, and scale.
• WHY : “Our brands come to us with products that are innovative and disruptive. They have great stories to tell and a passion for what they do. They’re committed to the triple-bottom-line, doing what is best for people, planet, and profits.”

If there’s one thing to take away from this post, it’s this: specificity is key for your value proposition. Many consultancies help brands with growth. But not many consultancies help natural product brands with growth. That’s the power of specificity. It lowers your amount of competition, helps you cut through the noise, and enables you to market and sell your services from a position of abundance.

Here’s what Elliot Begoun, principal of TIG Brands, has to say about how he developed his firm’s value proposition:

You could almost look at it in stages of evolution. The first was getting clarity of what I wanted my business to be and understanding what it is that one, I solve for my clients, and two, what it is that I really wanted to do and found enjoyment in.

The other was not getting too diluted. Once you started the activity of being in this business, there are opportunities. You can take a lot of different forks in the road. I did it at first and I see a lot of people do the same thing where they try to take as many of those roads at the same time. At the end of the day, you just wind up diluted and less effective. Once I narrowed that down and got concentrated on the things I did well and the things I enjoyed doing the most, that allowed the scale to happen.

(Learn more about Elliot’s business: Elliot Begoun and The Power of Betting on Yourself )

8. The Point Of Loyalty

Value Proposition:

Retain the Best, Grow The Rest: The Point of Loyalty is a strategic customer loyalty consultancy dedicated to driving deeper relationships and profitable revenue growth from the abundance of existing customers, with thriving customer loyalty assets.

• WHO : Brands who believe in the essence of their existing customers.
• WHAT (Problem) : Customer loyalty.
• WHAT (Result) : Deeper relationships and profitable revenue growth.
• WHY : “Adam has designed and deployed customer loyalty, reward and membership program strategies and member research for organisations operating in diverse sectors. These include retail (various), hospitality, hotels & holiday parks, financial services, shopping centres, leisure and entertainment, trade and education.”

At the heart of your value proposition is your expertise or specialty — what you can do better than your competitors. Instead of going after a particular vertical market (a particular industry), The Point Of Loyalty focuses on a horizontal market: a broad, diversified demographic of companies. Their specialty, customer loyalty programs, appeals to this wider client base. However, they’re only able to make it work based on their specialization on solving the problem of improving customer loyalty.

Here’s what Adam Posner, CEO and Founder, has to say about how his specialization in customer loyalty plays into his firm’s value proposition:

I’ve got a process and a strategy and fundamentally it’s built off what I call bespoke research. All roads lead to my research. I’ve got ten studies that I’ve published and I built a brand around that and every year I do it. It is a big investment back to your earlier comments, lots of work, lots of money, time, and efforts, but it has a long tail of content. I can use it for another twelve months. It’s is a point of conversation with clients outside of selling my services. They were interested in the research and my perspective of the landscape. The study, which is called For Love or Money is my lead magnet, should I say, but also my learning opportunities.

I’m forever learning. People say, “You’re an expert or whatever.” I dislike the word expert because everyone’s an expert but I’m a specialist. I keep learning. I never positioned myself as an expert. It’s all about being a specialist and these studies help me learn but also provide learnings and insights to the community.

(Learn more about Adam’s business: How Consultants Can Build A Customer Loyalty Program with Adam Posner )

Imperfect Action: Write Your Value Proposition

Now it’s time to write your value proposition.

Again, if you are a freelancer , service provider, advisor, or consultant, use our Magnetic Messaging formula.

You won’t make it perfect on your first try. That’s OK!

Just use the formula to get something on paper, and start publishing it in your marketing materials.

Gather feedback from the marketplace. Use the feedback iterative and improve your message.

Over weeks, months, and years of improvement, you’ll have a value proposition that is simple, clear, and helps you to start conversations with potential clients.

And if you’d like our help to create your perfect value proposition, reach out today .

2 thoughts on “ 8 Powerful Value Proposition Examples (& How To Write Yours) ”

Hi Michael, Thanks for all of the great tips and insights about putting together a value statement, or as you put it a “magnetic messaging”. I’d never heard that expression, but I quite like it. I also like your formula. Its a bit different from other formulas I’ve seen before. That “why they should choose you” is a nice addition/tweak. Also, your perspective on taking imperfect action is so important. I know I’ve gotten stuck trying to optimize and perfect things too soon. thanks again

You’re very welcome and glad to have you in the community here Marcio!

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• Business strategy |
• How to write an inspiring value proposi ...

How to write an inspiring value proposition (with template and examples)

A value proposition (VP) explains how customers can benefit from purchasing your product. In this declarative statement, you’ll convince your target audience why they should buy your product instead of your competitors’. Read on to learn how to write an inspiring and effective VP.

Every time someone buys your product or service, they’re making a choice. They’re choosing you over your competitors because they’ve decided your product is more valuable. But when two companies offer similar items with similar features, how do customers reach that decision?

That’s where a value proposition comes in. An effective value proposition convinces your target audience why you’re better than the competition. This statement is a way for you to differentiate yourself from others in your market and explain what customers will gain by purchasing from you. In this article, we walk you through how to craft your value proposition to set yourself apart.

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition (VP) convinces customers to buy your product or service by highlighting your product’s value and unique features. A value proposition goes by various other names, including:

Value statement 

Value positioning

Brand proposition

​​Unique selling proposition (USP)

Unique value proposition (UVP)

Regardless of the term you use, the meaning is the same. Your goal should be to develop a succinct statement—often paired with a visual element—that declares how your services are notable and unique. 

A company can also have multiple value propositions for different campaigns or to show different areas of value. 

The four main types of value propositions include:

Price value: You’re highlighting why your product or service is the most cost efficient option.

Unique product value: You’re highlighting the unique features of your product or service.

Customer ease or convenience: You're highlighting how your product makes your customers’ lives easier.

Customer results: You’re highlighting how your product or service gets customers results.

Value proposition vs. mission statement

You may show your mission statement to others outside of the company, but it’s meant to be your internal “why” statement. The value proposition should be your “why” statement for customers, explaining why they should buy your product.

4 questions of a value proposition

There are a variety of strategies to write your value prop, but all of them harken back to four key questions. If you can answer these questions about your company and the product or service you offer, then you have all the tools you need to write an effective value proposition.

What do you offer? Explain what your product or service is.

Who is your audience? Identify your target audience .

What value do you deliver? Outline the need you’re meeting or the opportunity you’re providing your audience.

What makes you different? Explain the features and benefits that set your product or service apart.

Other tips to consider when crafting your value propositions include:

Be direct with your audience. Clarity is key.

Use your value prop to explain clear results the customer can expect when purchasing your product.

Avoid sales jargon and buzzwords.

Keep it brief.

How to create a value proposition

The tools below will help you dive deeper into the customer experience and get to know your product or service better. Not only will this help you when crafting your value proposition, but it’ll help you in various aspects of your go-to-market strategy .

1. Map your value proposition canvas

The value proposition canvas is a tool where you map out your customer profile and product side by side in order to visualize how they connect. Your potential customers will have needs, expectations, and pain points. Your product should seek to meet these areas.

Jobs to do: Customers use products and services because they have physical, social, and emotional tasks to complete. 

Gains or expectations: When searching for a product or service, a customer will have expectations for the product, including things like price point, ease of use, and design quality.

Pain points: Customers won’t buy products if it has certain pain points, including things like high price point, bad customer service, if they are too complex, or of subpar quality. 

Products or services: Your product or service should help the customer accomplish a specific task.

Gain creators: Your product should seek to create gains for the customer, such as providing the highest quality product for the lowest price.

Pain relievers: Your product should seek to relieve pains, be easy to use, and reliable.

The value proposition canvas is the best way to see how you’re meeting your customer’s needs with your product. This tool is also useful during product creation because you can map out the customer journey first, then use that information to align your product or service to their needs and expectations. 

2. Go deeper with your questions

After you’ve mapped out your value proposition canvas, you’ll have a solid idea of how your product features meet the needs of your customer. But because you can never do too much analysis, here are more questions from Harvard Business School that you can use as you brainstorm possible statements with your team:

Which customers are you going to serve?

Which needs are you going to meet?

What relative price will provide acceptable value and profitability for the customer? 

The unique question here is analyzing the price point of your product. HBS explains that price can be an important factor for your value proposition, depending on your target audience and what needs you’re trying to meet. While companies like Apple place more emphasis on product quality and service, other companies like Walmart rely on low prices to bring in business. 

3. Use a value proposition template

Many business leaders have created formulas to make value propositioning easier. Once you know your customer and your product value, you can input your information into these formulas and the result will be a succinct and powerful statement to your audience. 

Here are a few options from Steve Blank , founder of the Lean startup movement; Geoff Moore , consultant and organizational theorist; and Guy Kawasaki , author and Apple alumni.

Steve Blank’s formula: We help [target customers]do [customer need] by offering [product features and benefits].

Cooper & Vlaskovits’ formula: [customer] with [customer problem]. Our [product] offers [customer solution].

Geoff Moore’s formula: For [your target customer] who [need or opportunity] our [product or service] in [product category] that [product benefit].

An SEO company may use the slogan, “We help others find you.” But when using the above formulas, their value proposition could read something like this: 

Example 1: “We help businesses get seen on the SERPs by offering a user-friendly content optimization tool. 

Example 2: “Get seen with a content companion that makes SEO simple.”

Example 3: “For businesses who struggle to understand Google algorithms, our user-friendly content optimization tool makes SEO simple so you can rank in the SERPs.”

Use the free value proposition template below for each of these formulas.

Value proposition examples

Here are some examples of companies and their value propositions. Many companies use a version of their value proposition in their tagline, but if you go to their website’s homepage, you’ll learn even more about the value they offer. 

Another strategic place for companies to display their value proposition is in the sub-headline on their main landing page. After a short and punchy headline, a sub-headline can be a great place to elaborate on what problem you hope to solve for your customers. Look below. 

1. Asana: “Work works better with Asana.”

Here at Asana , our slogan is, “Work works better with Asana.” The goal of our work management software is to make it easier for companies to perform their work processes. 

One version of our value proposition is, “Asana helps cross-functional teams overcome their organizational growing pains and ensures that goals, processes, and collaboration can continue to scale.” One thing to note is that you don’t have to stick to a single value proposition as long as you stay consistent with your messaging. 

2. Pinterest: “Welcome to visual discovery.”

If you check out Pinterest’s About page, you’ll find a value prop that says, “Welcome to visual discovery.” Their sub-headline expands on the message by tying in the idea-based function of their discovery platform. It says, “When it comes to a great idea, you know it when you see it.”

On the Pinterest homepage, they use visual elements to give you a teaser of how the platform looks once you sign up. It prompts you to scroll down as images appear, tempting you to dive in. 

3. Spotify: “Listening is everything.”

Spotify keeps their message simple with three large words displayed across their homepage: ”Listening is everything.” In the sub-headline, they elaborate on what their platform provides by saying, “Millions of songs and podcasts. No credit card needed.” 

You can find different versions of their value proposition on other parts of their website. For example, on their Contact page, it says, “Soundtrack your life with Spotify. Subscribe or listen for free.”

Put plans into action with Asana

You must set yourself apart if you want to build a strong customer base. When creating your value proposition, remember to point out the needs of your audience, show what you have to offer, and explain how you’re different.

Use work management software , like Asana, to plan, organize, and execute your value proposition. Incorporate your VP into a larger digital marketing strategy so your brand will have room to grow.

Related resources

How Asana streamlines strategic planning with work management

How to create a CRM strategy: 6 steps (with examples)

What is management by objectives (MBO)?

Write better AI prompts: A 4-sentence framework

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Written by Jesse Sumrak | January 31, 2022

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Unique value proposition (UVP) is a big, intimidating word that often sends brand-new entrepreneurs scrambling for an Advil and a glass of water. Settle down there—it’s more straightforward than you think.

Consider this situation. Your distant cousin hears you’ve started a business and looks for it on Amazon. She finds your products, but she also finds a dozen other similar-looking items. She asks you, “What makes your products different from all these other ones?”

Boom. Time to tell her your unique value proposition.

That might be…

• Our products are cheaper and help you save money.
• They’re made with higher quality materials, so you never question their durability.
• We source our materials locally, which gives back to the community.
• We provide top-notch customer support—you can always speak to a real-life expert.
• Unlike the competitors, our products also do X, Y, and Z to help you with A, B, and C.

Pretty simple, right?

However, not every UVP is as compelling as it should be. Some miss the mark, and that leads to missing out on customers. Sometimes, you need to better identify and label your UVP. Other times, you need to more intentionally create it.

Whatever the case may be, we’re here to help you nail your unique value proposition. Below, we’ll walk you through the critical elements of your UVP and how to ensure it’s more irresistible than anything your competitors offer.

What Is a Unique Value Proposition?

Your unique value proposition (or unique selling proposition (USP)) is a short-and-sweet statement that defines who your product helps, what pain points it solves, how it helps your target market, and what makes your product different.

Let’s break down each of those elements.

Define Who Your Product Helps

Your UVP should define the target market for the product. You want your customers’ ears to perk up when they read a statement or hear a commercial and think, “Hey, that’s me!”

Your product isn’t for everyone. It’s for someone special. It’s for a mom, boyfriend, soccer player, accountant, janitor, Christian, or sick person.

Don’t make your audience guess whether the product is meant for them—tell them it is.

Label the Pain Point(s)

Raising kids is hard. Cooking healthy isn’t easy. Finding time for your passions feels impossible.

These are pain points your customers (and maybe you) feel day-to-day that your product can help alleviate (hopefully). Label these pain points for your customers, and help them recognize what might be making them feel sad, burnt out, or unsatisfied.

Once your customer identifies their problem, they’ll start looking for a solution—and it’s a good thing because that’s what you’re about to give them next.

Describe How It Helps Them

Illustrate how your product makes your customer’s life better. Focus on benefits and steer away from features.

Your customers don’t care that your laser eye surgery is the latest and greatest in wavefront technology—they want to know if it’ll help them see better. Your customers don’t care if your milk is fortified with calcium—they want to know if it’ll give them stronger bones and healthier bodies.

Highlight What Makes Your Product Different

Lastly, it’s time to touch on the “unique” portion of your value proposition. What makes your product different (read: better) than what your competitors offer?

Your customers subconsciously (and sometimes consciously) contemplate this every time they go shopping. Why should I buy this brand of toothpaste over this one? What’s the difference between this off-brand of cereal and the original? Should I choose this lawnmower or this one?

Many brands make the mistake of differentiating their products with features instead of benefits. When highlighting what makes your product different, keep the focus on how it helps your customers.

For example, don’t just say your product is cheaper—say it helps your customer save money so they can buy other things. Instead of saying your product is made with high-quality materials, let your customers know that they don’t need to plan on replacing it anytime soon.

Before you jump ship and go back to selling vanilla products, take a look at these data-backed benefits.

7 Tips for Writing Your Value Proposition

Do you feel like this whole unique value proposition thing is getting tedious? You’re probably wondering if this is all necessary.

Yes, it is. UVPs are what differentiate the small-timers from the big-time performers. Invest the time and energy into making this work.

Creating the perfect value proposition for your product won’t come all at once—you might need to work through a few drafts first. Your customers and products will change from time to time, and your UVP needs to, as well.

Need help fine-tuning your UVP? Follow these tips to write value propositions that convert.

1. Understand Your Target Customer

The better you know your target customer, the better you’ll be able to sell to them. Ideally, you want to know everything about them before developing your product, but sometimes more profound learnings come later.

You might create multiple buyer personas for some of your products. For example, you might sell milk directly to consumers and yogurt-making companies. Understand both of these buyers so that you can identify their pain points and highlight how your product solves them.

2. Get to the Point

Your unique value proposition isn’t an elevator pitch—it’s a one-liner. You should be able to communicate your UVP in a single simple sentence.

Gather your UVP research, slides, and documentation and condense them into a handful of words. The fewer, the better.

Now, don’t confuse this with a slogan or tagline . That’s different. “Just Do It” and “Got Milk” are slogans—slogans don’t necessarily communicate the value of your products.

Cut any technical jargon from your UVP. You want your target market to quickly and clearly understand your product without running any Google searches.

3. A/B Test Your UVP

An A/B test is where you experiment with multiple versions of something (with only a single difference between each) to see which performs best. Running an A/B test takes the guesswork out of your UVP and helps you narrow down the best-performing options.

For example, you might run an A/B test that looks something like this:

• Option A: Easiest tool to host and grow your podcast
• Option B: Fastest tool to host and grow your podcast
• Option C: Cheapest tool to host and grow your podcast

Once you find which version of this example resonates the best with your audience (by measuring engagement metrics like clicks, opens, and conversions), you could run additional A/B tests. Let’s pretend Option A was your top-performing test.

• Option B: Easiest platform to host and grow your podcast
• Option C: Easiest app to host and grow your podcast

Keep running this test until you’re satisfied with the results.

4. Revisit and Refine Your UVP Often

Establishing your unique value proposition isn’t a one-and-done ordeal—it’s something you’ll need to tweak often. However, it gets easier each time you do it.

Customers, situations, and products change. You might need to change your UVP to differentiate from new competitors entering the marketplace, or you may need to adjust to better cater to modern concerns.

For example, when COVID-19 broke out, people weren’t looking for the fastest checkout options anymore—they wanted the safest.

5. Use a Conversational Voice and Tone

Real-life humans don’t use words like “orchestrate” and “streamline” in their everyday conversations. Instead, they might use basic words like “work together” or “do it faster.” Use the phrases your customers use—not what the dictionary or thesaurus recommends.

When you speak as your target market speaks, it makes your brand and product more relatable. Imagine a skateboarder is shopping for a new board. Here’s what they find when researching products:

• Product 1: New composite deck technology decreases air drag and improves durability
• Product 2: Flip faster, ride smoother, and grind longer

Which do you think speaks to the skateboarder better? Product 2, right? That’s likely the one they’re going to purchase. Product 1 doesn’t speak to the buyer at all—the buyer doesn’t care about new technology. They want to know how it will impact them and their sport.

6. Avoid Hyperbole

“You did it! Congratulations. World’s best cup of coffee. Great job, everybody! It’s great to meet you. Hi.” — Buddy the elf

It’s 2022—nobody is falling for the “best ever” claims (unless you’re Buddy). It’s a waste of words and characters, and it’s not convincing your customer to buy your product.

Stick to claims you can prove. You can use descriptions like fastest, easiest, most secure, and highest up-time because these are declarations you can verify. Just make sure you can back it up.

7. Don’t Try to Be Everything

Your product can’t be everything to everyone. It needs to target a specific customer’s specific problems with a specific solution.

When you try to please everyone, you end up pleasing no one.

Imagine an outdoor brand that sells a jacket that’s perfect for cold, snowy nights on the mountain and great for hot, sunny days at the beach. Can it really do both? Or are they just trying to sell a single product for every use case and buyer?

Focus on what your product does best and drive it home. Don’t flirt around with things it may do OK or might be an alright fit for. These additions weaken your unique value proposition.

Real-Life Value Proposition Examples

“Work on big ideas, without the busywork.”

Anyone who’s used project management software knows that the time-saving benefits come after hours, days, and weeks of setting up your system and processes. Asana promises they’re different.

You can still work on big ideas, but you don’t need all the nitty-gritty work. Asana is effectively saying the product isn’t just for small “maandpa” businesses—it’s also for large corporations with big needs.

“Easily manage all your social media and get results with Hootsuite.”

Hootsuite’s unique value proposition touches on several pain points of social media managers:

• Easily manage: Not every platform is simple to learn and use—Hootsuite put “easily” as the very first word in their UVP.
• All: Social media managers don’t want to bounce between tabs and applications. They want one tool to manage everything.
• Get results: You don’t want to just share posts. You want engagement: likes, clicks, followers, leads, and sales.

GoToMeeting

“Fast, reliable, and secure video conferencing. GoToMeeting empowers your remote workforce, while keeping your business safe and secured.”

Businesses need a reliable video collaboration tool, but they need one they can trust. With all of Zoom’s privacy and security issues, GoToMeeting is positioning itself as the “safe and secured” choice for security-conscious businesses.

“The Petzl Summit 2 Ice Ax is a lightweight ice axe that offers an excellent balance between price and performance for classic mountaineering.”

Petzl’s description of their ice axe is nothing fancy, but it touches on the key points a potential shopper is looking for: lightweight, price, performance. They understand what ice climbers want in an ax, and they hit it home instead of focusing on features.

Imagine if Petzl had said this instead:

“The Petzl Summit 2 Ice Ax weighs 14.1 ounces and is made of heat-treated steel that makes it cheaper while still being able to perform.”

This sentence touches on all the same points, but it does so in the wrong way. For example, shoppers don’t want “cheap” products, and “still” sounds a lot like a “but”—which nobody wants in a product.

Learn How to Market Your Value Proposition

Once you fine-tune your unique value proposition to perfection, it’s time to get it in front of your prospective buyers. How you do that is up to you.

You could set up a content marketing plan, grow your Instagram following, or start running Facebook Ads. Not sure how to do any of those things? You’ve come to the right place.

Check out our catalog of free classes to learn everything you need to know to grow your business. Our instructors will walk you step-by-step through each lesson, helping you master the techniques and hit the ground running.

Ready to better market your value proposition? Enroll in a free class now .

About Jesse Sumrak

Jesse Sumrak is a writing zealot focused on creating killer content. He’s spent almost a decade writing about startup, marketing, and entrepreneurship topics, having built and sold his own post-apocalyptic fitness bootstrapped business. A writer by day and a peak bagger by night (and early early morning), you can usually find Jesse preparing for the apocalypse on a precipitous peak somewhere in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

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Original text

Look at a Business Model Canvas and you’ll see a blank box in the middle that seems to control the flow of the entire matrix. That box belongs to a “value proposition,” and it is the first domino to fall for a business in search of a product-market fit. 

How can an entrepreneur create a compelling value proposition for a business? To answer this question, we asked small business owners and startup founders for their best tips. 

Here are 11 tips on how to write a value proposition. 

Speak With Your Future Customers

Identify the opportunity that exists in the marketplace. When our business first started in 1995, the value proposition we identified was to offer anyone janitorial supplies at wholesale prices. Before our company was founded, wholesale prices on janitorial supplies weren’t available to the general public for professional-grade products from major brands. By identifying a value proposition that created more value for our customers, we’ve been able to celebrate our 25th year in business this year. For any entrepreneur looking to create a compelling value proposition, take the time to research the industry, speak with customers, and be bold enough to dream up something unique. Elliott Greenberg, TouchFree Concepts

Write The Value Proposition On Post-Its

Bust out the post-its. The process of identifying a value proposition requires lots of revisions. Why? Because finding product-market fit requires an entrepreneur to “get out of the building” and talk with customers about where they find value in a product or service. If an entrepreneur listens hard enough, customers will share what the true value proposition may be. My best advice is to write a value proposition on a Post-It note and revise that Post-It consistently after each customer interview. If the customer insights phrase a value proposition differently, write it down and validate the phrase over and over until you’ve found a fit.  Brett Farmiloe, Markitors

Keep the Customer’s Problem at the Forefront of Your Mind

A value proposition for a business is a promise of something to be delivered! It is the main reason why a customer should (or should not) buy a product or service from you. As an entrepreneur, this is the most important part of starting any business, because customers don’t know what kind of value you can offer them yet. When creating a business value proposition, always keep the customer at the forefront of your mind. Identify a problem a customer may have and present how your product or service can be the solution. Henry Babichenko, Stomadent Dental Lab 

Keep Your Message Simple and Consistent

When writing a compelling value proposition, this is not the time to try to cram every selling point and benefit of your product into the message. Think of the single most important thing you want to communicate with your consumers, and use it to hook their curiosity and want to discover more about the product. The message should be efficient and to the point. -Chris Dunkin, Portable Air  

Implement Credibility Markers

Selling a product or service that fails to convey its value to consumers is just as bad as creating a product or service that has no value to start. That is why you need a clear value proposition for your business! The best way to create a compelling value proposition is to keep credibility at the forefront of your mind. As a financing company that specializes in commercial real estate and renewable energy, our clients should be able to trust us. Implement credibility markers into your value proposition that will help customers feel comfortable doing business with you. -Kimberly Kriewald, Avana Capital

Brand Positioning Statement

An entrepreneur needs to create a Brand Positioning Statement that describes the business they want to build or be a part of and also demonstrates the expertise they have to build it. For example - “I am a focused and determined business leader who can offer entrepreneurial stamina and wisdom to drive bottom-line results”. -Mary Onorato , Career Coaching Consultant

How Do You Make Your Clients Heroic?

Get everything you say about your company “out of your head” by taking the time to write your answers on paper (or a whiteboard) before it eventually ends up in a master company document. To get you thinking differently about the product or service your business provides, here are two great questions from well-known individuals. Question 1. “Why do you do it?” As famously stated by Simon Sinek “People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it.” Question 2. “How do you make your clients heroic?” was shared by Joe Polish (co-host of the I Love Marketing podcast). Those questions get you and your team connecting to a deeper meaning, and fulfillment as your company serves clients. -Mark Jamnik, Enjoy Life Daily

Keep it Simple 

First and foremost, keep it simple, brief, and don’t get lost in what you do. Too many businesses get lost in describing what they do versus connecting with their target on their terms and with their needs. Instead focus squarely on the intersection of what you are passionate about what you are best at - and make sure you can articulate how that solves your target customer’s problems and what makes you uniquely qualified to solve them. I highly recommend the book Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller to help guide your thinking, and Traction by Gino Wickman to enable you to crystalize your targets and messages. -Scott Elser, The Traction Hub

Back-Up Your Promises

An entrepreneur can create a compelling value proposition for a business by instilling two things into their offers. The first is something that customers can’t get anywhere else. The second is a way to give them rock-solid certainty that you can achieve said result. For example, I have an email marketing system built specifically for financial advisors. I am—as far as I know—the only person who has melded together world-class email marketing and financial services. Financial advisors literally can't get this anywhere else. I also back it up with a rock-solid money-back guarantee, which means if I can’t get results, they don’t pay a dime. James Pollard, The Advisor Coach LLC

Create A Product Or Service That’s Easy To Use

From my experience, I find that the most compelling but simplest proposition you can make for your customers is to make a product easy to use. Very often product developers make things assuming that customers have certain skills and knowledge to use them. This often isn’t true. You can remake an already existing product but make it so user-friendly and intuitive that customers will prefer your work over your competitors. -Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

Remove the Branding Jargon

Entrepreneurs can create a compelling value proposition by communicating the value of their product in terms that the target customer can understand. A customer wants you to solve their problem, not impress them with your branded messaging jargon. The TechnologyAdvice value proposition is that we connect buyers of technology with the best technology companies. Our actual product is much more complicated. But, software buyers looking for the right software right now don’t need to know the intricacies of what a B2B media company does. They need information that will help them find the right software quickly. When we remove the complicated explanations, we make a clear path from search to connection. Rob Bellenfant, TechnologyAdvice

Identifying Your Core Value Proposition A core value proposition is the value that customers get from doing business with you. It's not your product or service. It’s the overall essence that makes your business stand out from the competition. This eguide can help you determine your company's core value proposition.

What are Your Business’ Values? A value proposition clearly communicates the value your business brings to target clients. Learn how value propositions can help your small business.

Copyright © 2024 SCORE Association, SCORE.org

Funded, in part, through a Cooperative Agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration. All opinions, and/or recommendations expressed herein are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the SBA.

How to Write a Value Proposition and Why They Are Important For Your Business

Why do you think your customers want to buy something from you?

Today, the business world is more competitive than it has ever been in the past, and from large to small businesses, you need to find a way to make yourself stand out from the crowd. If you can communicate effectively with your customers, you will have an easier time beating the competition, all while developing quality products and services in the process.

If you have an effective value proposition, you can boost your conversion rate, maximize your marketing strategies, and increase your revenue. You need to present the value provided by your company, its products, and its services if you want to get the most out of your marketing activities.

That is why you need to have a strong value proposition example to showcase what you can offer customers. Learn more about the value proposition definition below, and make sure you get the most out of the products and services you have to offer. In this guide, we'll provide some of the best value proposition examples so you can create a strong positioning statement to boost your marketing efforts and attract more leads.

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a statement that clearly communicates why your target market can benefit from the product or service you have to offer. What makes your product or service attractive to your target audience? When you put together a value proposition, you need to clearly show what your business does better than any other business on the market. That way, you can show the benefits your products or services add to the lives of your customers, as well as convince businesses to partner with you and employees to work for you. With a strong understanding of the value proposition definition, you can draft one that helps your product or service align with your company’s core values and beliefs.

When you put together a strong value proposition example, there are several criteria that you need to meet. They include:

• Specificity : Your value proposition has to be specific. If you take a look at the customer journey , what are the specific benefits your customer is going to receive by purchasing your products or service? By being specific, you can create marketing campaigns that highlight what your company offers.
• Pain-Focused : If you want to build customer relationships , you need to target a pain point. What are some of the problems that your customers have, and how will your product or service benefit their lives? A value proposition makes it easy to collect data and measure analytics to better serve your customers.
• Exclusivity : What makes your company different from others? Why do you think your target audience should purchase your products and services? What is the competitive advantage that your business has when compared to other businesses in your field? Asking these questions can help you create a value proposition that highlights how your product or service stands out from the competition.

When you put together your customer or employee value proposition, it is important to think about the brand values reflected by your company. If you can find a way to stay on message as you create your own value proposition, you will have an easier time communicating effectively with your target customer. This is not necessarily a catchphrase or brand slogan. It should be a clear statement that can separate your business from the others in your field.

Why should you create a value proposition for your business?

As a business owner, you have countless responsibilities on your plate, which is why you might be wondering why you should spend your time crafting a value proposition. There are several reasons why you should craft a strong value proposition, with benefits including:

• Providing a strong foundation : Your value proposition is going to provide a strong foundation for everything that your company does. You need to make sure that your employees are working toward the same goal, and that goal has to be reflected in the products and services that can benefit your target customer. With a strong value proposition, you will have a firm foundation in place for everything else that your company does.
• Boosting your conversion rate : The next reason why you have to have a strong value proposition is that you can increase your conversion rate with potential customers. You need to maximize your marketing dollars, and having a strong value proposition can help you do that.
• Standing out from the crowd : The business world is more competitive today than it has ever been in the past. You need to find a way to make your company stand out from the crowd, and having a strong value proposition can help you do that.
• Targeting quality over quantity : Even though you probably want to make a customer out of everyone, you need to identify quality leads who are genuinely interested in what your company does. Even though a value proposition can help you attract more potential customers, it can also help you attract better ones.
• Improving teamwork : Finally, a strong value proposition statement can help you improve teamwork within your organization. You need your employees to work together toward one common goal. When there is a value proposition statement in place, your employees will have an easier time understanding how they fit in with the rest of the company

These are a few of the biggest reasons why you need to have a unique value proposition statement within your company. You need to put together a comprehensive value proposition that clearly differentiates your business from the others in your field. This can make a significant difference when you want to turn your leads into paying customers.

How to write a value proposition

If you are wondering how to write a unique value proposition, you need to think carefully about your customer service philosophy . You need to provide the best possible service for your customers and clients, and that should be reflected in your value proposition. There are several steps you should follow to write a great value proposition, which goes as follows:

1. Conduct market research

As you think about how to separate your company from the others in your field, you need to think carefully about how to do market research . You need to take a look at the competition to figure out what is already out there. After all, you need to find a way to convince your target customers to purchase products and services from your business instead of your competitors to drive sales. What do your competitors do, and how can you separate yourself from the crowd? By conducting market research, you can get a better idea of customer behavior and how you can differentiate yourself from the other companies in your industry.

2. Craft a strong headline

Next, you need to craft a strong headline. The best value propositions draw customers in right away. Today, customers have shorter attention spans than they ever did in the past. If you want to convince people to purchase your products and services, you must grab their attention as quickly as possible. Think carefully about the headline you put together, and make sure you grab their attention. You might even want to try out a few headlines on your employees. Collect their feedback, and see what headlines they like. This will make it easier for you to decide which headline to go with to catch the eyes of your target buyer.

3. Understand your customers

You need to think about your target market as well. Who do you think would benefit most from the products and services you have to offer? This refers to gathering your customer's voice. Ideally, you should use the words of your current customers to grab the attention of your future customers. For example, if you were to conduct some research, asking your customers for some feedback on your current products and services, what do you think they would talk about? This is what you should use in your marketing materials as you put together your value proposition. Figure out what your current customers like, highlight it in your value proposition, and use that information to attract future customers.

4. Explain your value

Next, hone in on your brand. Why do you think people should purchase your products and services? What do you stand for? What do you offer that other companies in your industry do not? You need to highlight the value you bring to the table. For example, is your customer service better than the other companies in your industry? Do you have better prices than other companies in your industry? Is there something that sets the quality of your products and services apart from the others in your field? What is the value that you bring to the table?

5. Be specific and clear

If you take a look at a lot of marketing materials shared by other companies, you will probably see a lot of vague statements. If you want your value proposition to make an impact, you need to be specific. Some of the questions you might want to answer include:

• What is the specific product that you are trying to sell right now?
• If someone purchases your product, what are the benefits it will bring?
• Why should a potential customer purchase your product instead of products provided by our competitors?

If you can be as specific as possible, your value proposition will be more effective.

6. Highlight your benefits

Even though it may be tempting to hype up everything that your company does, this is not necessarily going to result in a higher conversion rate. You need to be specific about the benefits that you provide. If you have specific numbers you can point to, that would be even better. Is the product going to last longer than the others on the market? Is it going to help someone save a significant amount of time? Can it address a specific problem, making it a thing of the past? If you can be clear about the benefits your product provides, your value proposition will be even stronger.

7. Include strong visuals

Finally, do not forget to include strong, relevant visuals. There is a saying that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that is definitely true when it comes to your value proposition. If you have images of your product you can share, you need to include them. If you can include images of someone directly benefiting from the product you provide, that would be even better. If you have text you want to include in the visual, use the text to enhance the picture. You do not want the text to be the focus of the image.

If you can repeat these steps, you can craft a great value proposition for the products and services you have to offer.

Effective value proposition examples

You might be wondering how to craft a unique value proposition for your online store or brick-and-mortar business. There are a few examples from which to choose. Some value proposition examples you might want to draw inspiration from include:

1. Demandwell

One of the first value proposition examples you should take a look at is Demandwell . If you take a look at the website, you will immediately see what they stand for. Their value proposition is “The Future of SEO for B2B SaaS Marketers.” Then, the website proceeds to talk about how you can drive more demand for specific products and services that you have to offer, and they mentioned that they specialize in search engine optimization.

The home page also has a variety of other features you can explore. There is a call to action that you cannot miss, the headlines are very compelling, and they provide social proof that you can explore to learn more about what the company stands for. Given that the company specializes in B2B marketing, it should come as no surprise that they have a very strong value proposition. This is one example that you might want to consider.

2. Unbounce

Another example that you might want to check out is called Unbounce . This is a company that specializes in conversion rate optimization, so they also have a very strong value proposition. When you take a look at the home page, you will immediately see that they focus on building, publishing, and testing landing pages without the requirement of an internal IT department. It is obvious what the company is promoting, and they are saying that they are different because you do not require an internal technology department. They are also highlighting a specific pain point, believing that companies are looking for a way to maximize their digital marketing without having to hire technology professionals.

The homepage also clearly explains how they go through their process. The first step is to build a page, the second step is to publish it, and the third step is to test and optimize it. It is not hard to figure out what they do, and they are clearly targeting a specific market. Therefore, this is another unique value proposition example that you might want to emulate yourself.

3. Target Pickup and Delivery

If you are looking for a more general example, you can also take a closer look at Target . This is one of the biggest retail brands in the world, and they do an exceptional job of hooking their customers. If you take a look at their website, regardless of whether you are doing pick-up or delivery, it is clear what they offer. Some of the highlights from the page that you might see include:

• Free shipping
• Next day delivery
• Easy pickup
• Contactless experience
• Save time and money

These are buzzwords that are included in the value proposition to get your attention. Then, they have additional text on the screen that clearly explains the pricing model, why it works, and who it is for. It is difficult for the value proposition for each of their Individual services to be any shorter or clearer. They do not waste your time, they get right to the point, and they are designed to grab your attention as quickly as possible.

These are just a few examples of value propositions that you might want to incorporate into your business model. Do not hesitate to test different types of value propositions to see what works best for your needs. With access to the right tools, you can figure out which value proposition is right for your business.

Incorporate your value propositions into your marketing strategies

Ultimately, these are a few of the most important points that you need to keep in mind regarding your value proposition. Your target market has a shorter attention span than it ever did in the past, and you need to find a way to grab their attention as quickly as possible. With a value proposition, you can clearly explain the benefits of your products and services, focusing on enhancing your brand identity while also generating quality leads. This process can help you expand your footprint in the market.

You might be wondering how you can create the best value proposition for your business. You need to take advantage of all of the tools at your disposal, and that is why you should partner with Mailchimp. Mailchimp provides you with a wide variety of tools that you can use to test various aspects of your digital marketing strategy, including your value proposition. You can figure out what works and what doesn't while saving time during the process. If you want to maximize the value of your go-to-market strategy , you should use Mailchimp tools to craft a strong value proposition that you can incorporate into your digital marketing strategy.

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How to Write a Standout Value Proposition (Plus Examples)

• by Jessica Thiefels

minute read

The answer is your value proposition —and most of you have been exposed to them without even realizing it. 

If you craft a strong value proposition that clearly outlines the value your business offers that differentiate it from its alternatives, you can strengthen your marketing messaging and improve your campaign conversion rates. In this post, you’ll learn: 

What is a value proposition?

How to write a value proposition, three types of value propositions, examples of great value propositions, step up your social media game.

Download our free social media templates to create eye-catching posts in minutes (even if you’re not a designer.)

A value proposition is a statement that clearly defines the value your business promises to deliver to customers. It’s what makes the product or service compelling to your target consumer. Typically, a strong value proposition possesses each of the following criteria: 

• It focuses on your target customer’s pain point: How does your product or service fix a problem or improve your customer’s life?
• It’s distinctive: How is your product or service different from its competitors? What is the value that differentiates what you sell from the competition? 
• It’s specific: What benefits can your customers expect to receive if they purchase your product or service? 

Not to be confused with your product’s features, your value proposition focuses on the key benefit that your customer gets from using your product.

It focuses on how your customers can improve their lives. 

Your value proposition should always be clearly featured on your website. The only way for it drive meaningful conversions is for it to be front and center on the website pages with high purchase intent (like your product pages, landing pages, and category pages). 

Now that you know what a value proposition is, it’s time to learn how to write your own. Where do you start? 

1. Use the same language that your customers use

What we mean by this is to use the same words in your value proposition as your customers use. Use the language of your current customers to attract your future, like-minded, customers.

Consider reaching out to your existing customers with a survey to see how they describe your product. How would they describe your company? How do your products and services make their lives better? What made them align with your brand enough to purchase from you? 

Pay close attention to the words customers commonly use to respond to those questions. Your goal here is to use those common words in your value proposition. If you speak using the same language as your customers, you’re likely to attract future customers that match your target customer profile.

2. Prioritize clear writing over creative writing 

When people start writing, many have the tendency of trying to make things sound poetic—don’t fall into this trap! 

Your value proposition needs to be crystal clear and easy to understand. When writing drafts, ask yourself whether or not the value proposition answers the following questions: 

• What do you sell?
• Why should people buy your product or service? 
• How does your product or service make your customer’s lives better? 
• Why should someone buy from you over your competitors? 

Your value proposition should be no more than three sentences. Every word you choose needs to improve clarity and understanding while making the products and services you offer sound attractive. If the word doesn’t help you towards that goal, it needs to be removed. 

3. Focus on benefits, not features 

Before anyone cares about your product’s features, they care about its benefits (i.e., how it improves their lives). 

Benefits highlight the distinct value your product promises to deliver. 

For an example of a benefits-driven product value proposition, check out Allbirds Tree Runners . It doesn’t talk about features (like what materials it’s made of), it focuses on the clear benefit consumers can expect by wearing this shoe: It’s lightweight, breathable, and comfortable. 

Value propositions come in several formats depending on the value they’re trying to communicate. 

There are actually three types of value propositions that you should use on your eCommerce site: 

• Company value proposition
• Product category value propositions 
• Product value propositions 

1. Company value proposition

There’s a big difference between your company’s value proposition and your product’s value proposition. 

Your company value proposition typically focuses on your company ethos. 

For example, TOMS company value proposition is “Stand for Tomorrow”. By supporting TOMS, consumers aren’t just buying shoes—they’re helping put an end to gun violence, inequality for marginalized communities, combatting homelessness, and providing drinkable water to impoverished communities. 

You can even see their company value proposition in the search engine results page (SERP).

If consumers align with TOMS’s value proposition for solving some of the world’s most pressing social and environmental issues, they’ll buy their products and be part of the solution, together. 

2. Product category value proposition 

Your product category pages also need a unique value proposition. Typically, you can see product category value propositions on the search engine results page (SERP), as well as the product category page itself. 

Take Buck Mason for example.

When you search for “Buck Mason”, results for each of their product categories appears. Notice that many of the listed page descriptions are also value propositions. Buck Mason uses value propositions to describe the key benefit of each product category. 

When writing the content for your product category pages, ask yourself what that product category’s promise is to consumers and clearly communicate that value.

3. Product value proposition

Each product within a product category (for example, shoes) needs a specific value proposition as well. Let’s rewind back to the example from Allbirds. 

While their Tree Runner shoe’s value proposition was that the shoe is light, breezy, and cooling, their Wool Lounger shoe’s value proposition is that it’s cozy, casual, and ready for anything your day throws at you.  

All value propositions influence one another 

Whether it’s a company, product category, or product value proposition, typically all three will (and should) relate and overlap with one another.

Your company value proposition ultimately informs what both your product category and product value proposition will be. They all need to align with your company ethos. Start by defining your company value proposition as that will inform the direction you take for the others. 

Here’s a breakdown of Allbird’s company, product, and category value propositions.

You’ll notice several themes are repeated in each value proposition. In each of their three value propositions, comfort and versatility are consistently reinforced. Allbirds wants anyone who visits their website, sees an ad on Facebook or Instagram or reads a product review, to walk away knowing that their shoes are comfortable and versatile, above all else. That’s Allbird’s primary value to consumers. 

Notice how Allbird’s value propositions aren’t focused on their product’s features — like what fabric they’re made of, how much they weigh, etc. Each of their value propositions focuses on a benefit that customers can expect when they wear Allbirds shoes.

Before a customer cares about a product’s features, they care about its benefits.

If you’re stuck for ideas, check out these examples of strong value propositions in action. 

1. CHÉ Studios 

CHÉ Studio’s product category value proposition is “modern + sustainable swimwear.” 

In this example, their swimwear’s value proposition is that they are at the intersection of environmentally-friendly materials and a modern aesthetic. 

They follow-up their value proposition with a brief explanation of the materials they use, reaffirming the brand’s commitment to making quality, comfortable products out of recycled materials. 

For environmentally-conscious, fashion-forward consumers, CHÉ Studios swimwear becomes a standout option. Their value proposition clearly illustrates their product’s benefits: great looking clothing that isn’t hurting the planet. 

Moscot is an American eyewear company whose value proposition is simple: trendy eyewear made with unparalleled craftsmanship. 

They set the tone for what makes them different right out of the gate: they have over 100 years of experience making eyewear and, as a result, their products are high quality and timelessly cool. 

Spotify’s value proposition can be found in their tagline: “Music for everyone.” 

They came onto the scene during a time when consumers and artists were unable to agree on how digital music was to be accessed and shared. Music-lovers would need to spend far more than Spotify’s subscription fee to purchase their music through other platforms. 

The promise Spotify makes to consumers is simple: unrestricted access to every song imaginable without needing to pull out your credit card every time. 

2 Steps for creating a standout value proposition

Now that you know about the different types of value propositions and have seen some examples, it’s time to create yours. Here’s how. 

• Step 1: Identify what makes your company unique
• Step 2: Clearly communicate your value proposition 

Identify what makes your company unique

All great value propositions start by asking yourself one question: What does your company do better than anyone else? 

It can be anything that your customers find valuable: Your heritage, expertise, customer support, design, quality, etc. 

While you’re in this stage, be sure to check out what your competitors are saying in their value proposition. Odds are that if you thought of it, someone else in your industry has as well. See how your competition is communicating their value proposition and make sure that yours is different and helps you stand out. 

If you can, consider reaching out to existing customers and finding out what they love about your brand. If you see a common theme as to why they chose you, that can help inform your value proposition. 

Clearly communicate your value proposition

Your value proposition should be no more than three sentences long. If a word doesn’t actively help someone understand what your company does that’s unique, consider removing it. 

Think of your value proposition similarly to a news headline: short and attention-grabbing. You can always follow up your value proposition with a slightly longer explanation to elaborate further. 

Look back at the CHÉ Studios example to see this in action.

While their value proposition was only three words, they elaborated on it with a few sentences that emphasized what makes their products different: they’re made from entirely recycled materials. 

When you’re drafting potential value propositions, we suggest coming up with a list of as many options as possible. To find out which ones are the most persuasive, consider split testing several  Facebook Ads that feature different value propositions. The ad that generates the highest engagement features your most persuasive value proposition and is crowned the winner. 

Set your company apart with a strong value proposition 

A strong value proposition is your promise to your current and future customers. 

If your value proposition addresses a pain point, is different from your competitors, and is communicated in language that your customers use, you have a good shot at attracting more customers in the future. 

Take the time to get your value proposition right—it’s ultimately going to inform a lot more than the headline of your online store’s landing pages.

It’s going to inform how you communicate the value of your company in most (if not all) your marketing efforts. Create a good one now so you’re not scrambling for slogans at the start of a campaign. 

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Jessica Thiefels is founder and CEO of Jessica Thiefels Consulting, an organic content marketing agency . She’s been writing for more than 10 years and has been featured in top publications like Forbes, Entrepreneur and Fast Company. She also regularly contributes to Virgin, Business Insider, Score.org and more. Follow her on Twitter and connect on LinkedIn .

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How to Build a Compelling Value Proposition (4 Simple Steps)

Underscore VC

In this Article:

1. define the problem to determine if it’s worth solving, 2. qualify the problem: is it “blac and white”, 3. evaluate whether your breakthrough is unique and compelling, 4. measure potential customer adoption using the gain/pain ratio, how to write a value proposition.

There are plenty of high-potential founders out there, but many entrepreneurs lose out because they never truly articulate a compelling value proposition. Establishing a substantive value proposition is critical if you want to start the journey from your “idea” to building a successful company.

In its simplest terms, a value proposition is like a positioning statement that explains what benefit you provide for who and how you do it uniquely well . It describes your target buyer, the problem you solve, and why you’re distinctly better than the alternatives.

As you set out to learn how to write a value proposition, consider the following four steps: Define, Qualify, Evaluate, and Measure:

Charles Kettering, the inventor, is famous for saying, “A problem well stated is a problem half solved.” Can you clearly state the problem you’re solving? Don’t make the mistake of diving head-first into a solution before you really understand the problem you’re trying to tackle.

A significant part of defining a value proposition involves what Underscore calls the 4Us . If you find yourself answering a definitive yes to the majority of these questions, then you’re on the right track. If not, consider re-evaluating and revising your new venture.

• Startup Secret: If the answer is yes, then that person will likely be your internal champion.
• Startup Secret: If the answer is yes, then that group will likely be a champion.
• Startup Secret: If the answer is yes, then you know you’ll have the attention of the c-suite.
• Startup Secret: If the answer is yes, then you know the market is primed for the solution.

Is it BLAC (Blatant, Latent, Aspirational, Critical) and does it address a WHITE space in the market, allowing you to capitalize on an open area of opportunity?

In B2B technology markets, you want to address problems that are Blatant and Critical, as they are far more acute than those that are Latent and Aspirational. Blatant and Critical problems stand in the way of business. They put careers and reputations at risk. Latent problems are unacknowledged, which means they often require costly missionary selling. Aspirational problems are optional, which is the hardest of places for a B2B startup to sell.

Consider Coda and its value proposition. The company is building “a new doc that brings words, data, and teams together.” From launching products to planning marketing campaigns to making information accessible, Coda makes it easy for teams to collaborate, get organized, and get work done.

It should be noted that many successful B2C products are based on exposing latent aspirational needs. Facebook is a great example. Think about Maslow’s hierarchy of needs . You can see how social needs might have driven Facebook’s success.

After you determined the problem you’re solving and validated its criticality, ask yourself: What is unique and compelling about your breakthrough?

A useful approach is to think of your breakthrough in the context of the 3Ds : What unique combination of discontinuous innovation, defensible technology, and disruptive business model are you bringing to bear and what makes it truly compelling—not just to you and your colleagues, but to your most skeptical customer?

• Discontinuous innovations offer transformative benefits over the status quo by looking at a problem differently.
• Defensible technology offers intellectual property that can be protected to create a barrier to entry and unfair competitive advantage.
• Disruptive business models yield value and cost rewards that help catalyze the growth of a business.

Simply having a product or service that is faster, cheaper, and better is not enough to make it compelling, but evaluate it in 3D and you can really open up the potential for a breakout.

Most entrepreneurs are so focused on the features they deliver, they forget to examine how hard it will be for customers to learn to use their product. So the Gain/Pain ratio involves measuring the gain you deliver the customer vs. the pain and cost for the customer to adopt.

If you can’t deliver a 10x gain of adoption/pain of adoption, customers will typically default to inertia and will “do nothing” rather than bear the risk of working with you.

As investors, we look for non-disruptive disruptions: technologies that offer game-changing benefits with minimal modifications to existing processes or environments. Simply put: disruptive innovation would ideally be non-disruptive to adopt.

Non-disruptive is critical to startups since the gain you deliver will also be discounted by the risk associated with betting on you as a young company. A successful venture delivers an order of magnitude improvement over the status quo. If you can’t deliver a 10x gain/pain promise, customers will typically default to “do nothing” rather than bearing the risk of working with you.

Once you have gone through the defining, qualifying, evaluating, and measuring steps, you are ready to write your value proposition. This next outline is not original—it’s typical of positioning statements to be consistent and reusable as such:

• For (target customers)
• Who are dissatisfied with (the current alternative)
• Our product is a (new product)
• That provides (key problem-solving capability)
• Unlike (the product alternative).

That’s how to write a value proposition, but there’s one more important piece: you!

Don’t lose sight of the fact that you are core to your venture’s value proposition. What problems do you understand uniquely well? What solution can you deliver uniquely well? What kind of disruptive business model can you bring? Be true to yourself as a thought leader and you will go far.

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How to Create a Compelling Value Proposition (with 6 Examples…)

How many products have you come across with “award-winning” or “unlock your potential” smeared across their marketing collateral? Urgh . In a crowded market, these worn-out pitches just don’t work.

To snag your prospect’s attention, you need to replace those fancy-sounding promises with a solid value proposition. You need to clearly articulate your product’s unique benefits in a way that’s relatable to your target customers.

If you’re a lesser-known company, your value proposition statement carries even more significance. It needs to intrigue and compel a prospect to try your company’s products.

In this article, you’ll learn how to create a compelling value proposition that persuades your prospects to choose you over your competitors. Let’s start by defining what, exactly, a value proposition is–and what it isn’t.

What Is a Value Proposition?

For businesses, a value proposition is crucial to communicate their product or service's benefits clearly and differentiate themselves from competitors. It provides a clear and compelling reason for customers to choose their product or service.

For example Wynter, a B2B message testing platform, puts a data-backed proposition on its homepage for its visitors. “Get up to 73% more demos and signups through better messaging.”

Do not confuse the value proposition with the tagline of your company– your value prop lays out the benefits of your product, while the tagline is a catchphrase to help prospects remember and recall your brand.

According to Mihaela Muresan , marketing strategist and brand architect, “The slogan should be the artistic and condensed expression of a well-defined value proposition, memorable and embedded in the brand personality.”

It’s also different from your positioning statement —which is a subset of the value prop—and meant to communicate the benefits of your product for a particular campaign or a specific audience persona:

Importance of a Value Proposition

Many founders struggle to articulate what their company offers in a succinct manner. If it’s such a common challenge, why even bother creating a good value proposition?

Here are the top three reasons:

• Differentiation from competitors: As per Gartner’s Global Software Buying Trends , the average buyer considers up to five software providers before making a choice. Your value proposition statement is a competitive advantage that convinces them you’re better than the rest. It can align your marketing strategy across different channels.
• Ensure prospects spend more time on your website: In a 2011 study , NNGroup found that users spend only 10-20 seconds on a website. If you can clearly communicate your value proposition in under 10 seconds, you can get visitors to spend a few minutes on your company website. Today, users may press the back button even sooner, so your proposition is even more important.
• Increase your sales: The best value propositions make your sales team’s job easier. They give your potential customers a compelling reason to buy from you that isn’t based on price. In fact, we mention ‘nailing down your unique value prop’ as the first step for practicing value-based selling .

How to Write a Strong Value Proposition for Your Business

Picture this: You conduct market research to get a feel of the competition. Then you begin writing your value prop. You badly want to craft something unique . But you end up hitting a wall. What if I told you that you don’t need to compose something out of this world?

Here are a few simple steps you can follow to draft an effective value proposition:

Learn the Types of Consumer Benefits

Even if the product or services you sell aren’t unique—which will be the case for most of us—you simply need to find a weakness of the competition that your product excels at. Then, highlight that benefit in your value proposition. This will help you stand out in your target market’s mind.

And there are only so many ways you can offer benefits to consumers. Below is a categorization based on Anthony Tjan’s (CEO, Managing Partner and Founder of the venture capital firm, Cue Ball) Harvard Business Review article that can come in handy:

• You offer high quality
• Be the cheapest product in the market
• You sell a wealthy lifestyle to aspirational consumers
• You offer basic goods or critical info that your target market can’t do without

If the above framework doesn’t resonate, you can read the five value nets suggested by strategists David Bovet and Joseph Martha. The goal of the exercise is to find what you’re selling: the customer experience, ease of use, or something else.

Conduct Customer Interviews

If you already have your ideal customer profile (ICP) figured out, you can probably skip this step. Otherwise, you need to conduct some research on your customer’s needs , pain points, and understand how they imagine their world, and phrase the problems your product solves. Interviewing them is one of the best ways to tighten your positioning.

Emma Straton, a messaging and positioning expert at Punchy , recommends a few questions in a LinkedIn post below that you can use to get to know your customers better.

Alternatively, unlock the power of effective customer profiling with our comprehensive Ideal Customer Profile Templates, designed to help you understand, attract, and engage your target audience like never before.

Use the Value Proposition Canvas

Integrating elements from behavioral psychology and design thinking, the value proposition canvas is a great visual tool to craft your unique value proposition (UVP). It consists of two parts: the customer profile and the value map.

In total, it consists of seven areas to explore, with a question for each area of exploration (as visible in the graphic below). If it interests you, you can learn more about Peter Thomson’s proposition canvas here .

For example, below is a canvas for Evernote, a note taking mobile app. Its value proposition is “anchored on simplicity and speed.”

Settle on a Simple Structure

You’ve learned various tactics and frameworks to create a UVP. But don’t overcomplicate the process. Remember, a key ingredient of a value prop for visitors is clarity. It even triumphs over persuasion .

How can you keep your message clear?

Peter Caputa, the CEO at Databox, highlights the importance of defining “who you help” first when thinking of your positioning. Therein lies the answer.

He says, “Your buyers don’t care about how you do what you do or what beliefs you have, at first. (That matters, but not at first).

They want to glance at your home page or your LinkedIn profile , do a quick Google search & find someone who helps PEOPLE LIKE THEM with PROBLEMS THEY HAVE. You get one second of consideration before they swipe left.”

He offers a simple starting point for your positioning (which you can also use for your value prop): "I help [type of companies] who struggle with [problems].”

“Let them ask how, why, etc,” he goes on to say.

You can model the above statement in the second person to begin drafting your UVP. Indeed you can expand it into a simple structure below:

• A benefit-driven headline : Based on Caputa’s suggestions above, you can use a simple statement like, “We help [your target market] who struggle with [problems in the words of your customers]” to start.
• Subheadline : You can use what they call an H2 (or heading 2 tag) in SEO to expand on the benefit above. It can include specific features, why what you do matters, or even another follow up benefit.
• Hero image : Using a visual that shows your product in action is a nice touch. They can convey your value faster than words or support your copy.
• Relevant call to action (CTA) : Most software product landing pages follow on their promises made with a relevant CTA, such as “Sign up for free” or “Get a demo.”

The Trello homepage follows a neat structure of the kind we discussed above. Besides a headline, subtitle, and a visual on the right-hand side, they also have a link to “Watch video” of the product.

Note that research by Speero found descriptive value propositions get noticed quicker. So put your copywriting chops to use to ensure you get more text on the page.

Validate Your Value Proposition

Peep Laja, the founder of Wynter and a conversion rate optimization thought leader, says, “If I could give you only one piece of conversion optimization advice, 'test your value proposition' would be it.” So once you have your UVP, here are some ways to A/B test it:

• Run PPC ads : Once you’ve your company’s value proposition, put it front and center on a landing page. Then run Facebook or Google ads to validate it.
• Use A/B testing tools : You can also use Wynter , a B2B message testing tool, to put your value proposition in front of your ideal customers. It can help you derive qualitative insights into where you’re falling short.

Before you use your value proposition in your marketing campaigns, you want to feel confident about it. Emma Stratton drives the point home beautifully , “I believe validation is really confidence. Do whatever it takes for you to feel confident about the new positioning and messaging.

Because if you don’t feel confident, you might not put it out there consistently – which is the only path to true validation. Validation is confidence. And confidence is critical!”

6 Great Value Proposition Examples (+ 2 Average Ones)

To get your creative juices flowing, I have compiled eight examples of compelling value propositions with some notes on why they work. You won’t find large corporations like Apple or Uber—instead, they are all B2B and SaaS companies that did a great job.

I am not the ideal customer for some of these businesses, so take my comments with a grain of salt. :)

App and software deals are appealing to most SaaS professionals. So AppSumo drives its value prop with a convincing promise. They already live up to this promise in the second line itself by offering an “additional 10% discount” on the first order.

I also like how they've displayed their software lineup, along with the offered deals, right next to the key messaging.

2. Y Combinator

Y Combinator puts forth its selling point to entrepreneurs in a succinct yet impactful sentence. The photo and impressive numbers on the RHS back them and make a strong case for startups to work with them.

3. Linktree

The headline hooks with an emotional phrasing "Everything you are." But, in the second half, they get functional and speak of a tool their audience may relate to. The numbers establish strong social proof, while the CTA prompts users to claim their username. The images on the right show the tool in action and highlight the use cases.

The headline of CXL is attention-grabbing for an ambitious marketer. The text below elaborates on what they teach (in-demand marketing skills) and the mode through which they do it ( online courses ). The testimonial on the right establishes social proof as well.

Using simple text, Beacons nails their UVP. They lead with what matters the most to their audience of creators. Then, the subheadline expands on how they do it and nudges the visitor to sign up by offering a “free” version.

The company puts a couple of key benefits for drivers—its target audience —front and center. The added bullet pointers are straightforward and elaborate on these. And the visual on the RHS creates intrigue about its unique feature.

7. ConvertKit

While I love the company’s email marketing software and its founder, Nathan’s, wisdom on social media, their value prop falls short. They probably want to become the default marketing platform for all creators —so they use a rotating value proposition. The keyword ‘book’ and the image on the left keep rotating to address different types of creators. This leads to a “ fuzzy positioning ,” as Peep Laja would say.

Their headline itself, “the creator marketing platform”, doesn’t communicate any strong benefit of using the product.

Agencies are challenging to differentiate. In the case of CIENCE, they begin with a rather generic title that they offer services and software. In the subheadline, they expand on that with more of what they offer. And use some high-sounding language to go with it. Their messaging seems focused on themselves instead of making their audience the hero.

Value Proposition Template

If you’re looking for a quick template to write your value prop, here are a couple of options:

1. Geoff Moore’s value proposition template: A management consultant, Geoff’s framework relies on five simple questions:

• For [your target customer]
• Who [statement of need or opportunity]
• Our [product name]
• Is [your product’s category]
• That [the main benefit your product offers]

Here’s an example showing the framework in action:

2. Venture Hacks’ high-concept proposition template: Created by venture capitalists, this framework relies on piggybacking on top of an existing renowned company that has disrupted its industry.

It goes: [Proven industry example] for/of [new domain].

Here are a few examples using this template:

Pro Tip: Use ChatGPT to Generate a Several Value Propositions

How would you like some automation from AI overlords to help write the first few drafts of your value prop?

Here’s a prompt you can use in ChatGPT to get started: “I'm the sales leader of a B2B SaaS company. Ask me five specific questions - one by one. Wait for my response before asking the next question. When you have answers to these five questions, use them in a one-line strong compelling value proposition statement that my sales team members can use while pitching on cold calls .”

Once you share your answers, you may need to give a follow up prompt, such as, “Make 5 of these statements. Make them one-liners.”

Below are five value prop statements I got. Any guesses on what SaaS product this company sells?

If you prefer following a specific framework or want to align your value prop to your brand personality, you can even train ChatGPT on it first by sharing those details. Then have it ask you questions and come up with some value propositions. Of course, treat any of these UVPs as starting points and make them your own.

Your Value Proposition Should be Relevant, Short, and to the Point

Consumers are spoiled for choices today. Further, many SaaS businesses have similar website designs with vague promises. You need a clear value prop that speaks to your customer’s problems in the language they speak. That’s the only way to get your prospects to pause and pay attention.

So embrace the process, invest time in refining your message, and let your value proposition shine as a powerful magnet, attracting your ideal customers and propelling your business toward greatness.

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Value Proposition: Definition, How to Write It & Examples

• 13 minute read

The business world is more competitive today than ever before. Whether you run a large or small company, you need to stand out. Communicating well with your customers will help you outperform your competition while developing great products and services. You need to show the value of your company, products, and services to get the best results from your marketing.

That’s why a strong value proposition is important. It shows your specific product and what you can offer to your customers. A clear value proposition can increase sales, improve marketing, and grow revenue.

In this blog, we’ll explain what a value proposition is and provide some of the best examples to help you create a strong message that can improve your marketing and attract more customers.

🔑 KEY HIGHLIGHTS

• A value proposition is a statement that suggests why customers should choose your product or service.
• A strong value proposition clearly shows what a company offers to its target audience and why it is the best choice.
• A successful value proposition should convince prospects to become paying customers.
• To write a good value proposition, you need to understand customer pain, identify and clear out your business benefit, match your value with customers, and explain why your business is different than other providers.

Table of Contents

What is a Value Proposition? 

A value proposition is a sentence or paragraph that clearly explains what your business service does, who it brings value to, and why it is valuable to customers. In other words, it is a statement that summarizes why the target audience should choose your products or services. 

Many companies use this statement to target customers who will benefit from purchasing their product or service. This helps maintain a company’s economy. 

A value proposition should clearly explain how your product fulfills the customer’s need, its benefits, and why it’s better than similar products on the market. It should be clear why customers should choose your company over the other company and why you’re the best choice.    

Moreover, a value proposition is an important factor that can make a huge difference in sales and closing deals for the company. If you cannot show value to your customers and tell them why they should choose you over someone else, you have no chance of competing in the market. So, businesses need to create one value proposition statement that represents their products and services.

What Makes a Good Value Proposition?

A good value proposition always fulfills the needs of customers that other companies couldn’t. It offers unique solutions or services unavailable from competitors, focusing on connecting customer needs with the seller’s solutions. It highlights the specific problem that the company solves, the advantages it provides, and why it is superior to its competitors. 

A good value proposition helps differentiate a business and attract customers by effectively addressing their needs and pain points. Hence, it should serve as a brand promise. A promise that assures the buyer that your company’s solution offers clear benefits (and value) in exchange for their investment.

Furthermore, a value proposition statement is also about how clearly you can make your buyer understand the service you provide. You cannot reach the customer if you cannot comprehend your business idea. So, your value proposition should always be clear and easy to understand. 

Lastly, it should also provide customers with detailed information about the outcomes they can expect from using the product or service.

Components of a Value Proposition

Your value proposition is usually displayed on your website. While you can also include it in marketing campaigns and brochures, the most prominent place is your website homepage and, if desired, your product pages.

A value proposition has three main parts: the headline, the subheadline, and a visual element.

• Headline: The headline describes the benefits customers will get from buying your product or service. Ideally, it should be clear, concise, and a single memorable sentence or phrase. Often, it includes a catchy slogan that can be part of a successful advertising campaign.
• Subheadline or Paragraph: The subheadline or paragraph provides more detail about what your company offers, who it serves, and why. It elaborates on the headline, typically in a short paragraph of two to three sentences. This section highlights your product’s key features or benefits, sometimes using bullet points to clarify the standout details.
• Visual Element: Sometimes, a visual element like a video, infographic, or image can communicate your value proposition better than words alone. These visuals can capture your audience’s attention and enhance your message. Companies often use market research to determine which messages and visuals resonate best with their customers, ensuring they create a strong value proposition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                

What is the Purpose of a Value Proposition?

The purpose of a value proposition is to maintain and differentiate the company from others and tell customers what they can expect from their products or services. This helps your business differentiate from competitors and attract or retain customers. 

A value proposition tells busy shoppers why they should choose your brand and your specific product. It quickly explains the benefits they’ll get, which can be helpful in a world where people have many choices. Similarly, it helps your team understand what your brand stands for and how it’s different. This helps when creating new products, running ads, or updating your website, and it keeps everyone focused on the same goal.

Finally, when you deliver on what your value proposition promises, customers trust your brand more. This makes them more likely to stick around and keep coming back. In short, a good value proposition helps you attract customers, keeps your team on track, and builds trust for the long term.

How to Write a Value Proposition? 

A well-written value proposition efficiently tells customers why your product or service is the best on the market. A concise statement should distinguish your company from the competition and tell people what benefits you provide over the alternatives.

1. Understand and Identify Customer’s Pain

Understanding and identifying customers’ pain and troubles requires extensive research. So, before making any value proposition, talk to your customer service reps, marketing specialists, and salespeople to understand what problems your customers are looking to solve by using your product or service.

For example, let’s say your business sells virtual phone numbers. Your ideal customer is someone looking for an affordable and flexible phone to contact people living abroad. In this case, your business should create a good value proposition and offer the necessary solution.

2. Identify the Benefits and Explain Your Value 

Now that you have some knowledge about your customer’s pain and the solutions they need start creating a list of your company’s products and services. Try to describe these products in one sentence and explain how you can provide the service that customers need.

This is a crucial step as you have to list every product you sell and describe its primary benefit. 

When evaluating your draft, ensure it answers the following questions:

• What product are you selling?
• Who should buy your product?
• How will buying your product improve the visitor’s life?
• Why should the visitor buy from you and not your competitors?
• When will the value be delivered?

Your value proposition should be short, including two or three sentences maximum.

3. Match Your Value to Customer Pain

After understanding the customer’s pain and the values you offer, you now have to pair the buyer’s problem with your business value. Do they align? Do you have something that solves the customer’s problem? If so, then start refining your value proposition and differentiate your benefit from the competition.

If they don’t align, just follow the above steps and tips until you find a buyer who needs your business’s solution.

4. Explain Why Your Business Is Different Than Other Providers

Explain what makes your business or service different from competitors and try to polish your value proposition . Companies should address questions such as: Do you provide a service that others don’t? Do you offer any additional services that other companies charge for? Is your product or service more affordable than others?

These elements can help differentiate your value proposition from competitors while keeping the focus on the buyer’s needs.

5. Using different template 

Even if you cannot create your own effective value proposition, there are some templates you can try.

A. Steve Blank Method

Former Google employee Steve Blank created a simple template for companies to describe their benefits in one sentence: “We help (X) do (Y) by doing (Z).” This means a company should clearly state who it helps, what it helps them achieve, and how it does it.

B. Geoff Moore Method

Marketing consultant Geoff Moore developed a value proposition method used by many Fortune 500 companies: “For (target audience) who (need or opportunity), our (product/service name) is (product category) that (benefit).” For example, For parents whose kids don’t get up on time, our Eject-a-Bed is functional furniture that works with the push of a button. This method clearly identifies the customer, their need, the product, and the benefit.

C. Harvard Business School Method

Harvard Business School suggests that a good value proposition should answer these questions:

• What is my brand offering?
• What job does the customer hire my brand to do?
• What companies and products compete with my brand to do this job for the customer?
• What sets my brand apart from competitors?

This approach helps a company define its offering, understand its customers’ needs, recognize its competition, and highlight its unique advantages.

Value Proposition Examples

Many companies have their own written value proposition. Here are five value proposition examples;

1. Slack-  “Simple and Easy-to-Use Collaboration Tools for Team”

Headline: “Make work life simpler and more efficient.”

Subheadline/Paragraph: An AI platform that brings your conversations, apps, and customers together in one place.

Visual Element: 

Slack is simple and easy-to-use software that helps teams collaborate instantly. This platform allows a team to create a group for different projects or departments, share files, exchange messages, and more. Slack’s value proposition is to make work happen simpler, easier, faster, and more efficient. 

Slack aims to target a large company with hundreds of employees who are tired of switching apps just to communicate properly with the team members. These users want a system that makes their work simpler and easier. And that’s precisely what Slack does. 

2. HubSpot: “An Easy-to-Use CRM.”

Headline : “An easy-to-use CRM”.

Subheadline/Paragraph:   “HubSpot’s CRM platform offers tools and integration that you need 

for marketing, sales, content management, and customer service.”

Visual Element:

HubSpot is a leading customer relationship management (CRM) software; many companies can benefit from it. Its simple and user-friendly CRM features help users maximize business growth. HubSpot’s value proposition is to target CRM users who want a highly scalable and feature-rich system.

Individuals and teams can gain actual benefits from using HubSpot for each product. Using HubSpot’s compatible and easy tools, businesses can manage all their marketing, sales, content, and customer service needs in one place.

3. Pipedrive “The Easy and Effective CRM for Closing Deals.”

Headline: “The easy and effective CRM for closing deals.”

Subheadline/Paragraph : Pipedrive lets you track your sales pipeline, manage leads, and automate your entire sales process in one place so you can focus on selling.

The right CRM system can make your work easy and hassle-free. In its value proposition, Pipedrive aims to target a business that wants to simplify its workflow and provide personalized tips to help it focus on winning deals.

Pipedrive isn’t just CRM software that wants to sell you a bunch of plans, which isn’t exactly necessary for your business. It offers a flexible CRM to match your needs. It has different tiers of highly customizable integration, making it one flexible choice for small businesses. 

4. Zapier “Join Millions Who Automate Their Work Using Zapier.”

Headline : Join millions who automate their work using Zapier.

Subheadline/Paragraph: Workflow automation for everyone. Zapier automates your work across 6,000+ app integrations, so you can focus on what matters.”

Zapier’s value proposition targets businesses that want to connect their apps or services to other apps to automate repetitive tasks without coding or relying on developers to build the integration. With Zapier, the software can pass info between your apps with workflows called Zaps.

Zapier offers integration for over 7,000 apps, including Google Docs, Slack, KrispCall , Salesforce, and many more. With a few clicks, you can link your web apps and share data. Moreover, it lets you move between apps and automate repetitive tasks.

5. Zoom: “Enhance workplace productivity with AI companion.”

Headline : “Enhance workplace productivity with AI companion.”

Subheadline/Paragraph: Streamline communication, increase employee engagement, and improve productivity with Zoom workplace fueled by Zoom AI companion.

Zoom has three value propositions: accessibility, performance, and brand/status. It provides accessibility by offering a variety of options, such as video conferencing, group messaging, simple online meetings, and a software-defined conference room feature.

Since Zoom is a people-centric cloud service, it transforms the real-time collaboration experience and improves the quality and effectiveness of communications.

Types of Value Propositions

There are three types of value propositions: brand value proposition, product value proposition, and category value proposition. Each type has its own way of promoting and building connections with customers.

1. Brand Value Proposition

This type focuses on the benefits customers will receive from associating with the brand. For example, a brand might promise to create a customer-friendly platform. Customers who care about their value will feel a personal connection to the brand. The brand value proposition is about creating a positive perception of the brand and encouraging customer loyalty and trust.

2. Product Value Proposition

This type is centered on the product itself. The company explained how using the product would help customers’ daily lives . It’s about creating a strong link between the product and the customer’s needs or desires. For example, a smartphone brand might emphasize its product’s long battery life and high-quality camera to show customers how these features can enhance their daily activities.

3. Category Value Proposition

When a company wants to highlight a specific product category, it develops a value proposition for that category and communicates it to the target market. If the message resonates with the customers, it can boost sales for that category. For instance, a company that sells sports equipment might focus on promoting its range of running shoes, focusing on features like comfort and durability to attract serious runners. If successful, this can lead to increased sales within that particular category.

A clear and simple value proposition is essential for any business wanting to succeed in today’s competitive market. It explains why your product or service is valuable and why customers should choose you over others. 

A strong value proposition helps you attract and keep customers, guides your team, and supports your company’s goals. To create one, understand what your customers need, describe the benefits of your product, and show how it solves their problems better than other options. 

An effective value proposition makes it easy for customers to see why your brand is the best choice, leading to more sales and customer loyalty. Using straightforward methods and templates can help you make a message that connects with your audience and helps your business grow.

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Dinesh Silwal

Dinesh Silwal is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of KrispCall. For the past few years, he has been advancing and innovating in the cloud telephony industry, using AI to enhance and improve telephony solutions, and driving KrispCall to the forefront of the field.

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What is a value proposition and how do you write one?

Why should customers do business with you?

Seriously, why should they choose you over your competitors? Why should they open their wallets and hand over their hard-earned money in exchange for your products or services?

It may sound harsh, but these are important questions to ask yourself. If you can’t come up with a convincing reason, you haven’t yet identified your business’s value proposition.

What is a value proposition?

A value proposition is a short statement that speaks directly to your customers. It tells them what value you’ll provide for them—basically, why you’re worth doing business with.

You might also hear a value proposition referred to as a value prop, positioning statement, selling point, or a unique selling proposition. Those are different ways of saying the same thing: a short and powerful statement that communicates why you’re the best choice.

You’re passionate about your business, which means you can probably think of a dozen different points and key benefits you want to incorporate. But strong value propositions are concise and impactful. For that reason, focus on these four bullet points:

• Who you serve: Let your ideal customer know you’re talking directly to them.
• The problem you solve: Tell your target customer exactly what pain point you address.
• How you solve it: This won’t be super detailed, but it should give your customer insight into why you’re the right choice to solve that problem or meet that need.
• Why your solution matters: Your customers care most about what your small business does for them, so you’ll need to point to a clear benefit they’ll experience.

Those are the main boxes that you need to check. We’ll talk about each of them in greater detail when we discuss how to write a value proposition later. For now, just keep that high-level overview in mind.

Why does your value proposition matter?

Crafting your own effective value proposition takes some elbow grease. Is it worth the effort? Absolutely. Nailing down this messaging can lead to a number of benefits, including:

• Refined marketing strategy: Your value proposition acts as your compass as you refine all your other marketing efforts. It’s a crucial part of your marketing strategy and will guide you as you create a cohesive and compelling marketing plan .
• Increased understanding: When done well, your value proposition gives your customers an immediate grasp of what your business does and why it’s relevant to them.
• Boosted sales: When you adequately communicate your value to your customers, they’re far more likely to make a purchase. Your value proposition should increase conversions, close more sales, and improve your small business’s bottom line.

See? Ironing this out is way more than a formality to check off your list. It’s your primary selling point that lays the foundation as you market your small business.

Where should you use your value proposition?

If you’re going to sink time and energy into crafting a compelling value proposition for your small business, you want to make the most of it. That means it should be shared anywhere potential customers might find you. This could include (but certainly isn’t limited to):

• Your website homepage
• Landing pages
• Product pages
• Social media bios

Of course, you don’t want to overdo it. The important thing to keep in mind is that your promise of value should be one of the first things customers see when they discover your business. Focus on the main “entry points” for customers who discover and engage with your business. Confirm that your value proposition (or some form of it) is included there.

Is a value proposition the same thing as a tagline?

Your unique value proposition and your brand tagline are two different things. Here’s the main difference:

• Value proposition: A more thorough explanation of the value you offer to your target customers.
• Nike’s value proposition: Nike delivers innovative products, experiences, and services to inspire athletes.
• Tagline: A catchy and short slogan that’s memorable but doesn’t capture your value.
• Nike’s slogan: Just do it.

Taglines are fun and punchy. But if you’re going to focus on one thing to start with, make it your business’s value proposition. As we mentioned earlier, that will guide you through a number of other marketing decisions (including your tagline).

How to write a value proposition: 4 steps to follow

With that groundwork in place, it’s time to answer the question you’ve all been waiting for: How do I write a value proposition?

There’s plenty of advice about how to craft your own value statement. Unfortunately, much of it is either dense and academic or targeted more at marketers, startups, SaaS businesses, or huge companies with tons of resources.

That can feel overwhelming. So let’s take a step back and talk about how to write a good value proposition—all through the lens of a small business owner.

1. Know your target market

To write an undeniably effective value proposition, you need to start with who you're talking to. You should be equipped with a solid understanding of your customer’s problems, their goals, their objections, and more.

That’s information you’ll use to write a statement that speaks directly to them. Not sure how to figure out your business’s target customer?

Let’s imagine that you’re starting a home repair business. You visit your customers’ homes to do everything from replacing windows to fixing washing machines.

EXAMPLE TARGET CUSTOMER: Homeowners in the city of Cape Town who want well-maintained homes.

2. Clearly state their problem

Now that you know who you’re talking to, your next step is to drill down even further to identify what specific issue you address for them.

It’s entirely possible that your business solves a lot of problems. In the case of our home repair example, there are a ton of micro-problems—everything from leaky faucets to faulty thermostats.

Many bigger businesses have different value propositions for different products or services. But for now, let’s keep things simple and focus on the overarching pain point you address for your customers. Your small business was born out of a need that you saw was unmet, and that’s what you should zoom in on here.

EXAMPLE PROBLEM STATEMENT: Homeowners don’t have the expertise to complete repairs themselves nor the time to figure it out.

3. Share how you solve it

Next, you’ll clearly state how you solve your customer’s problem. You don’t want to be long-winded here (“I possess all of these specific licenses”), but you also don’t want to be too vague (“I repair things.”).

Ultimately, this section is about the differentiation between you and your competitors. Why are you the right choice over anybody else?

Do you have years of experience? A specific industry qualification or expertise? An innovative or patented solution? Do you provide a better customer experience? Free delivery? Whatever it is that sets you apart is what you should include here.

EXAMPLE: I have 20 years of experience as a facilities maintenance specialist.

4. Tie back to results

You can’t expect your customers to connect the dots themselves—you need to explain exactly how they’ll benefit from working with you.

With our home repair business, the results might be that customers will get appliances and infrastructure repaired around their home. But push yourself harder here. What does that actually do for them?

They get increased peace of mind. They save time. They have fewer hassles and headaches.

As you pick which one to focus on, return to the information you have about your target customer and their pain points. Which single benefit do you think will resonate most with them? You can even collect feedback or test different statements to see which one hits home the most.

EXAMPLE: Our high-quality home repairs save homeowners from stress.  

Here’s how your value proposition turned out...

After walking through each of those four steps, here’s what we have to work with:

• TARGET CUSTOMER: Homeowners in the city of Cape Town who want well-maintained homes.
• PROBLEM STATEMENT: Homeowners don’t have the expertise to complete repairs themselves nor the time to figure it out.
• SOLUTION: I have 20 years of experience as a facilities maintenance specialist.
• RESULTS: Our high-quality home repairs save homeowners from stress.

All of the fundamentals are there. But if you smash them all together, your value proposition might seem a little long and unfocused. You’ll need to do a little finessing here. It can be helpful to drop the different elements into this simple template to at least get started on the right track:

We do [X] to help you do [Y] so you can [Z].

After working through that and making some final polishes and tweaks, here’s what our example value proposition might look like:

You deserve to stop stressing over home repairs. We use our 20 years of maintenance experience to complete high-quality fixes that save you from headaches and hassles.

Not bad, right? Of course, that’s not the only way to package it. You’re free to play around and find the right sequence that works for you, your business, and, most importantly, your customers.

4 more tips for writing a compelling value proposition

The first draft of your value proposition doesn’t need to be the one you stick with. Here are a few more tips to help you take your statement to the next level.

1. Keep it short

Your value proposition should be able to be read in five seconds or less. If it takes longer than that, it’s too long. 

Why so short? Because, to be honest, your customers have fleeting attention spans. In fact, the average human attention span is somewhere around eight seconds.

2. Reduce your ‘I’ and ‘we’ language

Remember, your value proposition isn’t about your business—it’s about your customer. One simple trick to keep your messaging customer-focused is to swap out some of your “I” or “we” references for “you.”

Here’s an example of a value proposition that uses too much self-centered language: I know many parents are stressed about their child’s first haircut. I create a friendly and welcoming salon environment where I can give kiddos their first trim without fears or tears.

And here it is with the spotlight shining on the customer: Your child’s first haircut can be stressful. Our friendly and welcoming salon environment helps your kiddo conquer their first trim without fears or tears.

That’s not to say that you can never say “we” or “I”—they’re bound to appear somewhere. But make sure that language isn’t overpowering your customer.

3. Avoid hype and sales-y language

Your value statement should separate you from your competitors. But the desire to differentiate yourself can tempt you to use overly promotional language.

You don’t need to say that your service is “unlike anything you’ve ever seen before!” or your product is “a miracle” or “an answer to your prayers!” If you’ve really honed in on your key benefits, all that over-the-top language won’t be necessary.

4. Solicit feedback

If you’ve been staring at your own value proposition for days on end, it can be hard to see it objectively. That’s why it can be helpful to ask customers or other trusted confidants for their feedback.

You can even do A/B testing on a few different versions of your statement to see which one achieves your desired results. Even if you don’t do a formal test, pay attention to how your statement is working for you. If you aren’t seeing benefits like increased interest or an improved conversion rate, you can try making some tweaks.

Small business value proposition examples

It’s not hard to find value proposition examples from large businesses. Here are a few commonly cited ones: 

• Evernote: “Accomplish more with better notes. Evernote helps you capture ideas and find them fast.”
• Apple Business: “When the world changes, business changes too. Apple hardware, software, and services work together to give your employees the power and flexibility to do whatever needs doing—wherever that may be.”
• Unbounce: “Get more conversions with Unbounce landing pages and conversion intelligence tools.”

Those can be helpful, but they can also feel sort of untouchable and unrelatable when you’re a small business. For that reason, we’ve crafted five small business value proposition examples so that you can refer to them for inspiration as you work on your own.

1. Sandwich shop value proposition example

Make the most of your lunch break with delicious sandwiches made with homemade bread, fresh-cut deli meat, local cheeses, and from-scratch spreads.

2. Cleaning service value proposition example

Make your home your sanctuary with a cleaning service that makes your spaces sparkle. Our detail-oriented staff does the dirty work so you don’t have to.

3. Consignment shop value proposition example

High-quality products don’t have to be high priced. Peruse our selection of well-loved and well-cared-for decor and furnishings to bring style to your home—without the sticker shock.

4. Marketing agency value proposition example

Get your e-commerce business in front of the right customers with proven SEO strategies that drive results and sales.

5. Florist value proposition example

Celebrate life’s sweeter moments with free, same-day delivery of hand-picked floral bouquets.  

Your business offers value—so go ahead and own it

Here’s a question you can’t expect your customers to answer: Why should they do business with you?

As the business owner, it’s up to you to make that answer painfully obvious to them. That’s where a compelling value proposition comes into play. This statement speaks directly to your target audience to highlight benefits, separate you from your competition, and push your business forward.

After you’ve written a strong value proposition, you can turn your attention to other important business functions, like accounting and bookkeeping. Fortunately, services like QuickBooks online make that part easy, so you can focus on growing your business. 

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How to Write a Partnership Proposal [Examples + Template]

Published: June 18, 2024

Partnerships generate $3.9 billion per year in the U.S. and supercharge the revenue of companies like Microsoft, Atlassian, and Shopify. Teaming up with another professional or company can multiply your capacity, expertise, and growth.

With so much at stake, approaching a potential partner can be intimidating. Whenever I make a business pitch, there are three items I work to perfect. First, an underlying relationship to build on. Second, a stellar verbal presentation for a pitch meeting. And third, a killer partnership proposal.

A partnership proposal is a powerful tool to showcase your professionalism and convince your potential partner why they should collaborate with you. I’ve compiled what you should include in your proposal, plus four partnership proposal templates to give you a head start.

What is a partnership proposal?

• Types of Partnership Proposals

Components of a Partnership Proposal

How to write a partnership proposal, partnership proposal template, partnership proposal examples, partnership proposal tips.

A partnership proposal is a document outlining the benefits, scope, and structure of a future collaboration between two businesses or individuals.

Most partnership collaborations begin with an idea and verbal discussions. “ Hey, here’s a crazy idea. What if we…” If you don’t know the person, start with a warm intro email or phone call first.

A partnership proposal is the next step in the process, formalizing concepts to align goals and gain buy-in. While it isn’t a legal contract, it’s often a precursor to one.

Free Business Proposal Template

Propose your business as the ideal solution using our Free Business Proposal Templates

• Problem summary
• Proposed solution
• Pricing information
• Project timeline

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Types of Business Partnerships

Before creating a business partnership proposal, it’s important to understand which type of partnership you want to pursue.

General Business Partnership

When two or more individuals enter a business agreement and share unlimited liability, you have a general business partnership. A proposal for a general business partnership should include the share of ownership, contributions of each partner, the distribution of profits and losses, and the terms for dissolution.

Joint Venture

A joint venture (JV) is an agreement between two companies to combine resources and expertise for a specific purpose. For instance, a global company might form a JV with a local company when bringing a product to a new country.

Limited Partnership

A limited partnership (LP) is a business partnership that includes at least one general partner and at least one limited partner. Limited partners have minimal liability and management oversight of the operations. An LP is common in single-purpose scenarios like a real estate transaction.

Limited Liability Partnership

The LLP structure is common in professional service fields such as law firms, doctor’s offices, and accounting. Similar to an LLC, a limited liability partnership (LLP) is an agreement between partners that grants them limited liability. LLP requirements vary by state.

Influencer Partnership

An influencer partnership is a limited-scope agreement between an influencer or creator and a brand to create and publish branded social media content.

Sponsorship Partnership

A sponsorship is a collaboration between businesses, nonprofits, or media companies where one company pays for access to promote their goods and services to the other company’s audience.

When I write proposals, I always aim to personalize each one and find the right balance between personable and professional. While the nuances of each partnership model vary, there are a few common elements that every partnership business proposal should have.

Executive Summary

Hook your reader’s attention with a summary explaining the partnership concept, key benefits, and a table of contents.

List each partner with their contact and background information. Specify the role each will have, and whether they are a general or limited partner. Make it visual, with photos or logos.

Goals and Objectives

All good partnerships start with shared goals. Explain your goals and dreams for the partnership, from a high-level vision to specific objectives.

Share who your audience is and any key demographics. Make sure that your audience will fit with the partner’s audience, and vice-versa. An audience is a key selling point for partners, especially with influencer or sponsorship partnerships. Some brands go as far as account mapping to identify customer overlap, but general audience data can be as effective.

Scope of Work

Next, define the scope of work and projects to be covered with the partnership. If this is for a limited-scope project like an influencer collaboration, give a precise breakdown of project steps. If this is for a general partnership, JV, or LP, list target activities and deliverables and who is responsible for each. Give timelines as appropriate.

Benefits and Challenges

If you’ve ever written a business plan, you’re likely already familiar with the SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats). Similar to this, give an abbreviated analysis of:

• Challenges that will need to be tackled.
• Benefits to the collaboration.
• Market research and industry analysis.

Legal and Financial Information

Propose terms and conditions for the partnership, like payment and revenue-sharing structures. Spell out who will own intellectual property generated by the company and how royalties will be distributed. Address how disputes or a partnership dissolution would be handled. ​​

To test this out, I wrote a general partnership proposal between a web designer and a web developer who want to team up to start a website studio. I used HubSpot’s partnership business proposal template to build a professional proposal outlining the partnership benefits and structure.

Creating a compelling partnership proposal requires a clear understanding of your potential partner's needs and how your collaboration can meet those needs. To simplify this process and ensure you have all the required information, consider using HubSpot Sales Software . This tool can help you gather insights, track interactions, and manage your proposal process more efficiently.

Here are the steps I took to create the proposal.

1. Outline the Benefits

To convince your partner, make the case why it’s worth them sharing their time (and profits) with you.

I started my proposal with an executive summary envisioning why the partnership would appeal to future clients. That leads into a “Benefits of Collaboration” section where I clearly outline the mutual advantages.

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Create the Business Requirements Document

Understand the Importance of the Business Requirements

The business requirements document (BRD) is an essential guide to delivering a project. It’s created during the first phase of the V-model process and serves as a reference to articulate the needs and objectives of the project to all stakeholders. It ensures that everyone involved has a clear and shared understanding of the requirements.

Here are three good reasons that demonstrate the importance of defining business requirements:

Clarifying needs: The business requirements document explains the needs to be met.

Detailed planning: The business requirements document helps to plan the project in detail.

Point of reference: The business requirements document acts as a basis for preparing specifications, testing, and final product sign-off.

Involve the Right People When Writing the BRD

Who writes the business requirements?

The BRD is created by the project owners. This team is responsible for defining the project requirements and objectives and consists of various roles, such as engineers, subject matter experts, and our essential project managers.

What’s my role in writing the BRD?

As the project manager, you are taking on the role of a conductor who must orchestrate the production of the BRD . Working as a team is highly effective in producing a high-quality business requirements document—which means a BRD that contains sufficient detail and is easy for the reader to understand.

To get to this point, you’ll need to delegate certain tasks appropriately to ensure that the document is produced successfully.

How can I involve the right people in writing the business requirements to ensure a high-quality result?

Here are four principles to apply to successfully produce a quality document:

Check skills: Ensure that the team of project owners has all the required skills to write the business requirements. A skills inventory could be useful here.

Define roles and responsibilities: Clarify the roles and responsibilities of each member of the team. This way, you can delegate the writing and checking tasks to the appropriate people.

Emphasize communication and teamwork: Ensure that all team members can work together effectively and meet the deadline for producing the requirements.

Involve future users: Don’t forget to consider the opinions of future users when writing the BRD. Requirements experts might sometimes overlook these users or get them wrong.

Identify Needs and Objectives

In your role as project manager, you must learn to identify both requirements and objectives. It is your responsibility to ensure that this information is included in the business requirements.

Okay, but how can I make sure I don’t leave anything out?

To ensure that nothing is forgotten, you need your team’s help. Take notes! When you’re working in a team with project owners, you must gather and summarize information. Some pieces of information will be useful for defining needs and objectives. While writing the various chapters within the business requirements document, delegate the technical parts to the technical roles within the project owners team and the functional parts to the more functional roles. Make sure you make coherent decisions when delegating. And finally, always remember to check and communicate instructions as a team to avoid any misunderstandings.

Organize the Business Requirements

With the amount of information you need to include in a business requirements document, you’ll need a coherent structure to organize the sections for writing and reading purposes. The good news is, as project manager, this is your job!

Create a plan for the business requirements and involve your team in writing the sections that are relevant to their areas of expertise.

A winning formula for this would include:

A clear structure: A BRD with a logical, well-defined structure and discrete sections for each aspect of the project will enable readers to easily find the information they need.

Links between sections: A BRD with links and cross-references between the different parts will give you a coherent whole and ensure that the information provided is mutually complementary.

Okay, but I still don’t know how to create a detailed plan for the business requirements within a V-model project. I also imagine that this could vary depending on the project type. So, how do I approach it?

Yes, you’re right that the structure of the business requirements document can vary from project to project. And that’s actually good, because it shows the importance of adapting to different contexts. However, you will find that there are a number of common features that can be included in your business requirements documents when you use the V-model methodology.

This approach covers the various aspects of the project, ensuring that the team working on it on a day-to-day basis is fully prepared.

Here are six important steps to include in a business requirements document when using the V-model methodology.

How can I choose the right person to write each section of the BRD?

Use the table below to check which roles are suitable for the various sections of the BRD. It shows the appropriate people to write and review each part of the BRD. This is a way of ensuring that you make informed decisions when delegating writing and checking tasks.

I keep seeing “quality manager” in the business requirements process. What is their role?

The quality manager is part of the V&V team. Remember them? Project owners, IT project team, and V&V. The quality manager can be enlisted to check the quality of the BRD. They check that it’s complete, consistent, and meets the requirements.

Specify the Structure

As the planning specialist within the project owners team, you’ll need to make the rules when you start talking about costs , deadlines , and project methodology .

When you’re creating the business requirements, you’ll need to write these sections. You’ll define the constraints in terms of time, budget, and project management methodology. Let’s take a more detailed look at how to tackle these topics.

Milestones and deadlines On the topic of time constraints, you’ll need to define the key stages of the project, which are called milestones . Specify the deadlines you wish to assign to each stage. This will enable you to track project progress and ensure that the objectives will be met within the requested timeframe.

Available resources On the topic of available resources, you’ll need to define the limits that the project cannot exceed. These can include the allocated budget, technical support, or required logistics. This will help guarantee a successful project.

Project methodology When deciding on the project methodology, feel free to mention your preferred method. This will determine how you will plan, execute, and control project activities. In our scenario, we’ll be leading the project using the V-model methodology.

Over to You!

You’re currently responsible for coordinating the business requirements document, which will be a key resource used in delivering the AirGalaxy project.

Instructions

Complete the business requirements. Assemble the content provided by the different contributors in the business requirements document, ensuring that each contribution is placed within the correct section.

Assign writing tasks. Use the business requirements document schedule and assign each section to a team member, ensuring that these people have the required knowledge in the relevant area.

Let’s Recap

The project manager is the main coordinator for producing the business requirements document. 

They identify the client’s needs and involve the right people during the writing process.

They define the document structure and specify how the project will be organized.

They are responsible for the document quality and the final result.

Now that you’ve defined the high-level project scope in the business requirements, you’ll learn how to prepare the functional specifications, which will be a more in-depth description of the application functionality.