Three Ways to Create a Value Proposition For Every Situation
(And Feel Comfortable Using It)
By Chakisse Newton, President, Cardinal Consulting, LLC
Your value proposition describes how you help your clients (or the community you serve, if you’re a non-profit). You use it when networking and to start a conversation when asked what you do. But how do you create a value proposition that helps you connect with others AND feel comfortable doing it?
What you say will depend on several factors:
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The context of the meeting: Are you at a leisurely networking event or greeting someone as they go down a receiving line?
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Your listener. Is this a person in your field who understands what you do? Does she know you well or are you a stranger?
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The perception of your industry. Are people receptive, apprehensive, well informed or confused about your services?
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Your objective: Do you want to qualify the listener for business opportunities, network for referrals or just make polite conversation?
Here are three strategies to write a value proposition for every situation.
1. Describe what you do:
Name your profession AND describe your specialty or what makes you unique.
I’m a healthcare attorney and I specialize in certificate of need issues.
Or, if you’re feeling more expansive:
I’m a healthcare attorney specializing in helping hospitals with everything from compliance issues, to certificate of need requests to labor relations.
Or, if you focus on a narrow niche, you can describe it:
I’m a financial planner and I help individuals with a net worth of over $10 million to protect and grow their investments.
2. Focus on the clients you serve:
Use the work that you do with your clients to demonstrate your expertise and show how you add value. (You can do this with or without naming your profession.)
I help companies like ACME Manufacturing, ABC Corporation and U.S. widgets expand to new markets and increase sales.
3. Describe the pain that you solve or when people need to hire you.
The main problem with only telling people your profession is that it presumes they know enough to know if they need you. Make sure they do.
I’m an executive speech coach. People call me when they want to wow an audience - whether it’s speaking at a conference, giving an important sales presentation or handling the media.
I’m a business consultant. When companies are feeling frustrated that they aren’t able to grow as fast as they want or they need help increasing sales, they call me.
These are just a few of the ways to use a value proposition in conversation. No matter which strategy you use, make sure that it works for you. What you say will vary depending on the circumstances. But the one thing that won’t change is that people will be more interested when you focus on value than when you describe yourself or your company like a commodity.
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© 2011 Chakisse Newton. All Rights Reserved.
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