A sharp message that makes buyers say: “Hell yes.”
Defining your value proposition is like cutting through a loud, overhyped tradeshow with a bullhorn that actually says something useful. It’s not just what you do — it’s why your customer should care enough to choose you and not the 47 other companies shouting into the void.
A strong value proposition sits at the intersection of three things:
- Customer Pain: What problem are you solving?
- Product Promise: What do you actually deliver?
- Differentiation: Why are you better, faster, cheaper, smarter, or just less annoying?
If you can’t answer those in plain English, you don’t have a value proposition — you have a buzzword smoothie.
A Simple Framework to Define Yours
Use this formula to create a clear value proposition:
“For [target customer], who [pain point], [your product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [competitor], it [unique differentiator].”
Example for a manufacturing ERP software:
“For small manufacturers who struggle with outdated systems, FlowOps is a cloud-based ERP that streamlines production, inventory, and finance. Unlike legacy vendors, it deploys in days and doesn’t require an IT army.”
Example for a B2B marketing agency:
“For mid-market SaaS companies needing qualified leads, JetFunnels is a performance marketing agency that delivers MQLs with a pay-for-results model. Unlike traditional agencies, we don’t charge retainers or lock you into 12-month contracts.”
Now turn that into a headline and subhead for your site, and you’re off to the races.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Feature dumping. Don’t lead with tech specs unless you sell to robots.
- Sounding like everyone else. “We’re innovative, customer-focused, and data-driven.” Cool. So is a spreadsheet.
- Too vague. “We empower business growth.” What kind? For who? How?
AI Prompts
Use these to sharpen or create your value proposition:
- What pain points do our ideal customers experience that we uniquely solve?
- Based on our competitors, what positioning angle will stand out the most?
- Rewrite our value proposition using simple, compelling language.
- Walk me through building a one-sentence value prop for a B2B software company that helps field service teams.
- Create a value proposition using the format: For [who], [product] is a [what] that [why].
Final Thought
If your value proposition sounds like corporate karaoke, start over. The best ones punch through noise, show the buyer what’s in it for them, and draw a sharp line between you and the rest. Nail it, and everything from sales decks to investor pitches gets easier.
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