Create your Value Proposition Being different and better
In most cases people have a lot of choices when it comes to buying a product or service. Building a relationship and reputation among customers will require you to have a clear idea of what sets you apart: How are you different and better than competitors and other alternatives? This worksheet lays out some categories of differentiation and some questions to get you started. As you fill it out, try and be as specific as possible, providing and proof, evidence or “reasons to believe” that will support your story. Higher quality products or services Lower prices
Serving a new customer or market Being the first to market Better marketing and promotion Superior location or convenience Product design
Manufacturing process or technology Something else?
What source materials do you use? What is your expertise and experience? What is the performance advantage of your offering? What measurable outcomes can the customer expect? How do you deliver lower prices? Can you make this process transparent for people? Why do your lower prices not mean lower quality? What proof can you offer that your prices are lower? Who is your target customer and what makes them tick? Why are you so well-suited to serve this market? Why hasn’t this market been served before? Why is your product or service a good fit for them? What’s the story of how your broke into this market? What was behind the innovation that led you here? Do you have technology or intellectual property that supports your entry to this market? What’s your strategy for reaching customers and how will it give you an advantage? Why is this approach better for your customers? How will you maintain this advantage over time? How will you be more convenient than alternatives? What proof or guarantee can you provide? How will your customers benefit from this convenience? Will this convenience impact the quality or price? What is better about the design of your offering? How was this design developed and tested? How can you show (rather than tell) this story? Who was responsible for this design? What advantages does your process have for customers? Do you have patents or other intellectual property? Who are your suppliers and sourcing partners? How will you protect this advantage over time? What else makes you different and better? How can you provide evidence to support this story? How will you maintain this difference when competitors try and copy what you have done?
Focus on what matters most to customers
Once you’ve figured out all of the ways you are different, you will want to find a way to emphasize the things that matter the most to your customers. This will come