A good value proposition means you won’t have to compete. If you are in business, it is because you think you can provide a product or service that customers will find valuable. Your goal is already to provide excellent service that will gain your business a great reputation.
When we sit down with clients, one of our first questions is, “What is your value proposition?” Put in laymen’s terms: “What does your business offer that other businesses can’t?”
Why (oh why) do businesses think that customer service is a good value proposition?! When customers walk through your doors, great service is expected. If they don’t get it, they won’t come back. If you have been boasting about your service, it’s time to come up with a better plan.
Customer services is only a good value proposition if there is something unique about your customer service. Are you a running shoe store that personally fits customers with shoes? Does your store offer an unlimited return policy? You get the idea.
So we have established that customer service is no kind of special offering. What is? Let’s look at a few solid examples from various industries:
1. Our service is freaky fast.
Jimmy John’s is just a standard sub sandwich shop, but their offering is that you will get your food “freaky fast.” Whenever you order Jimmy John’s, the sandwich is there right about the time you hang up the phone to give your order.
2. Our product is lovable.
Ever since VW has been in business, they have promoted their vehicles as cars for drivers that want to adore their ride. Even their recent commercial campaign supports this value proposition. There are many superior cars on the market, but Volkswagen takes a different angle. Even the name means “people’s car.”
3. Our product makes you… awesome.
Old Spice has mastered crowd appeal with their commercials, which are interestingly targeted at men AND women (because ladies want their men to smell wonderful). Most products like Old Spice are using sex appeal to say, “Hey, you could be me.” Old Spice lets you know… “Hey, you can’t be me, but you can most certainly smell like me.” Their value proposition is that their product makes you manlier.
4. Our product is the cheapest.
Everyone knows Flo from Progressive. Progressive has moved in a many different directions to have broad appeal, but their message is consistently the same: We will beat the prices of our competitors.
A good value proposition means you won’t have to compete.
There is already enough competition in the market, and you didn’t open your business with the idea that you want to throw yourself into the rat race. You already know what we are telling you: It’s time to set yourself apart from your competitors and tell customers what you can offer them. Use these examples to get some ideas for a good value proposition.
Need some input? We’d love to sit down and chat. We have plenty of ideas and we would love to share. Questions or comments? Feel free to share!
