Solomon Thimothy is the Founder of Clickx, where he works with agencies and clients to develop predictable and scalable growth strategies.
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A great value proposition can put your agency in front of competing businesses and is often the reason customers choose you. But an even better value proposition can make customers drop their current provider and turn to you.
So, where should you place this fancy promise? Your value proposition should be front and center in all of your messaging. It tells the reader (or listener), “This is how I solve your problem or make your life better and why I can do it better than anybody else.” Your value proposition is the one thing in your business that every department should be delivering on at some level.
In fact, I’ve found that a key indicator to convert prospects into customers lies in the strength of your value proposition. Smaller companies that are lesser-known have more to prove and thus it should be an even more important aspect of their business.
Let’s say you’ve built the groundwork for your value proposition. With it, the customer understands what they receive from you and you’ve explained why you’re superior to competing products or services. Next, you should consider what separates good value propositions from great ones.
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• Good: Your value proposition explains your customers’ problems in a clear and concise way.
• Great: Your value proposition explains your customers’ problems but also helps them understand how it can make a huge impact on their life.
• Good: Your value proposition explains or lists the benefits of your product or service.
• Great: Your value proposition is articulated in specific numerical terms or uses details that make the offer specific. Think about adding a percentage or a specific number to help put things into perspective for your customer.
• Good: Your value proposition tells the customer why you beat the competition.
• Great: Your value proposition tells the customer why you are better than the competition by a significant margin.
Okay, so now that we understand how to create something that’s going to convert, let’s discuss where and when you want to flaunt your promise.
• In the headline of your website: It’s the first thing customers see. Make sure they know exactly what you’re about.
• In testimonials: A company can talk all day about what it offers, but would its customers say the same thing? Make sure feedback aligns with your value proposition.
• On sales calls: As I mentioned above, your value proposition should be the heart and soul of your company. Great brands understand that you can never repeat a core message too many times. Ensure that your sales representatives can clearly articulate all the elements of your value proposition to prospects.
All of that said, you may wonder, how often should we change our value proposition? How can we create something that’s going to stick for the next five years and that will still make sense and put us ahead of the competition as new market opportunities open?
Going From Great To Unsurpassable
These points should help you create a value proposition that stands out. However, you should also consider how many agencies will be doing the exact same thing to ensure that they are memorable to customers.
If you really want to build an agency that is going to soar and that your customers will rave about, you have to create an unsurpassable offer. The only way you can do that effectively is to know your customer inside and out.
Try different value propositions and test them on your market. See how the bounce rate changes as you change your main headers and copy. Next, interview your customers. Send feedback forms and understand what it is that converts them. Can you compete on price, incentives, brand? Is it your customer service that sets you apart?
Take what your customers tell you and follow their word until the end. Only then will you create an unsurpassable value proposition.
To Wrap Things Up
Every business leader knows what a five-star value proposition can do for their business and their website. Remember, it has to be communicated consistently throughout your organization.
Don’t overcomplicate it. At the end of the day, a value proposition just tells a customer why they should choose you.
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Author: Solomon Thimothy, Forbes Councils Member
