Today’s challenges are tomorrow’s opportunities.  We don’t need to ride the tumultuous wave of declining consumer spending and low sales while clutching our raft, closing our eyes and waiting for the storm to break.  We can do something powerful instead.  We can use the current climate to strengthen our businesses, specifically our value propositions.

A strong value proposition is the message that conveys to customers the benefits of doing business with you and buying your product.  It is concise, factual, immediately speaks to customers’ needs and offers a solution.  A strong value proposition will sell your product when no one is buying. 

With so much to offer, it is understandably the most difficult message to draft properly and typically the weakest link found in marketing plans.  Try to find a strong value proposition, and you’ll be looking for awhile.  Many companies don’t have them. 

Typical value propositions may look like this:

“We offer high quality tea at discount prices.” 

“Our teas are organic and fair-trade.” 

“Our teas are direct from the garden.” 

“We have the largest trade show in the world for tea.” 

The number one problem with the statements above is that they describe the product’s features.  When no one is buying product, (read declining consumer spending) don’t waste time declaring what the product has or is.  No one is listening.    

In order to capture customer attention today, value propositions must go beyond features.  They must even go beyond benefits.  The strongest value propositions convey what need the product satisfies of the intended audience and has a zero “So what?” factor.  Strong value propositions are based on real data and have Motive.  Motive, in marketing terms, determines the one message that compels customers to buy. 

Let’s go back to our weak value propositions for a moment.  We’ll use the one relevant to WTE exhibitor prospects:

“Exhibit at the largest trade show in the world for tea.” 

Today it looks like this:

“In three day’s work, increase your sales by 20%”. 

Once you’ve captured prospects’ attention with a benefit of your product that meets their current need, you can then support your message with appropriate copy.  But the sale begins and sometimes ends with the one-line value proposition you offer. 

To determine a strong value proposition that conveys the benefits of doing business with you and buying your product, start with the exercise below.

Write down any and every thought you have.  Do not edit yourself.  Start with one service or product at a time.  Once you have your thoughts down on paper, you will begin to see patterns, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities among your offerings.

Upon completion, you will discover that you need to talk to your customers.  You will need to ask them what the benefits are of doing business with you and may be pleasantly surprised to realize you hadn’t thought of half of them.  You need to verify benefits to make sure they are true and relevant.  You will also need to determine what your customers’ needs are and compare those needs to your motives.  Finally, you will have significant data and content to develop a strong value proposition, conveyed all in one line. 

This isn’t easy but absolutely essential and rewarding.  Going through the exercise above forces you to dissect your offerings and determine their value.  In the end, you will have developed a strong value proposition- one that will sell your product when no one is buying because it is meaningful.    

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