In the midst of all of the noise and tools, nailing the value proposition is more important than ever. Here are 7 keys to get your product-market message right — and out the door. This presentation delivered at Boston Product Camp in May 2010 takes a look at (1) some best practices around creating compelling value propositions (2) a v.p. audit tool so you can evaluate yours, and (3) examples of value propositions and how they relate to (and can be reinforced) through taglines, brand essence, and business operations.

1. 7 KEYS TO NAILING YOUR
VALUE PROPOSITION
BOSTON PRODUCT CAMP
PRESENTER
TORAL D. COWIESON
MAY 22, 2010

2. ABOUT US
Market validation & due diligence | product strategy
15+ years working with companies to
define, refine, align, and
deliver their value propositions
Investors, entrepreneurs, and established
companies looking for capacity to analyze market
opportunities
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK

3. BY THE END OF THIS WEBINAR
• Learn what makes your value proposition a critical business asset.
• Learn why it is often necessary to have multiple value propositions.
• Walk away with practical tuning that you can do now as well as strategic
consideration for longer term planning within your organization.
• Connect the dots between the value proposition and the rest of the
business.
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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4. WHY NOW?
We have more and more tools
Lead
Gen
for communications.
White
Papers
Our targets are bombarded and
increasingly live in soundbites.
Direct e-Mail
Campaigns
We face increasing demands for results
while operating with diminishing resources.
Websites
and Microsites
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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5. Value Proposition
The unique, perceived worth
of a contract between
a business and its prospects.
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6. Market Pain Points
and Needs
of Users, Features
Buyers, and Roadmap
Influencers
Product
Pipeline
Collateral
Value Proposition Sales & Marketing Social Media
Branding
SEO
Operations PR
Idea Pricing
Goods Customer Service
Company
Services SLA
Technology
Process
Copyright 2010 www.sisutek.com
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7. KEYS TO CREATING
A COMPELLING
VALUE PROPOSITION
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8. Key #1: Know your audience(s).
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9. Key #2: Align your
solution with your
market’s challenges.
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10. Key #3: Make the relationship impactful.
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11. Key #4:
Demonstrate
best choice
(in 15 words
or less!).
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12. Key #5: Know the landscape.
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13. Key #6: Be aware of individual fares.
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14. Key #7: Align with the rest of the business.
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15. EXAMPLES
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16. B2B - ENTERPRISE MIGRATION TOOL
Previous File migration made easy.
Transforma Suite increases enterprise capacity to
New manage risk and drive competitive advantage.
Transforma Suite helps enterprises migrate to new
versions of Office applications without the risks, costs,
For IT productivity loss, and headaches that typically arise
from application deployments.
Tagline Analyze. Implement. Transform. Done.
Brand Seamless, hassle free, provides peace of mind
Essence
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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17. B2C - DIGITAL MEDIA CONSUMER TOOL
PhotoTool makes it easy to organize and
Previous publish digital media based on natural
organizers.
Simplify how you organize and share your
New digital snapshots.
Tagline Memories, Simplified.
Brand Essence Simple, accessible, friendly, and crisp
Other Registration process, uploading of photos,
Considerations integration with other sites such as Facebook
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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18. B2B - EMPLOYEE REWARDS
As the leading worldwide provider of global strategic
recognition solutions, the company helps the world’s
largest and most complex companies engage and
Current motivate their employees by fostering a culture of
appreciation that breaks down country, language, and
company position.
Target Markets Sales and human resources executives
Retention, motivation, strategic alignment, fairness and
Target appropriateness across international boundaries, cost-
Challenges effectiveness
Current Tagline motivation worldwide
The company’s strategic recognition solutions help
Proposed businesses cost-effectively engage, retain, and inspire
employees worldwide.
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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19. B2B - IT FOR ACUTE CARE
AREAS OF HOSPITALS
Picis is a global provider of innovative information
Current solutions that enable rapid and sustained delivery of
Corporate clinical, financial, and operational results in the acute
care area of the hospital.
Tagline Delivering Results in High Acuity
ED PulseCheck is a specialized system for the
Product-Specific emergency department that achieves the perfect
Value Proposition balance between your clinical and financial goals.
www.picis.com, testimonial, website structure, CIO
Collateral Magazine “Emergency Department Care, Hospital
Business Results”
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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20. HOW TO EVALUATE YOURS
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21. VALUE PROPOSITION AUDIT — WORKSHEET
Align your Make the Be wary Align with
Know your solutions with Demonstrate Know the
audiences. relationship best choice. of individual the rest of
market landscape.
impactful. fares. the business.
challenges.
Important?
10 10 10 10
How
Who are the What keeps these What value does Is the value Who are your What percentage of Can the rest of
your offering proposition competitors? sales are custom the organization
buyers, influencers, players awake at
provide to each simple, crisp, and solutions? articulate the core
and moneymen night?
target - save time, powerful? What are the value proposition?
to Address
involved in the
Questions
buying process? What language do reduce costs or weaknesses in their What is the impact
exposure, make Does it strengths? of client-specific What is the
they use to
money, other? encapsulate the solutions on customer
Do you have value articulate their pains
value in a way that What are the FUD market-driven experience once
propositions specific and the severity?
Do your value can be expressed factors? opportunities? the contract is
to each of these signed?
Do your value propositions crisply on an elevator
stakeholders?
propositions communicate that ride? Who are potential Who are the
value? strategic partners? marketing team’s What percentage of
capture the voice of
Does it generate clients? customers renew or
the customer?
further dialogue? refer other business?
Are We Doing?
How Well
GAP
Copyright 2010 www.sisutek.com
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22. TAKEAWAYS
• A value proposition is the proposed contract; how a company executes
across functions is the manifestation (or not!) of that contract.
• Multiple value propositions are necessary, depending on who you need to
influence, convince, and pay the bills.
• A one size fits all message fails to optimize interest for any stakeholder.
• A clear value proposition will streamline costs and time on sales and
marketing endeavors.
• Building and executing on a compelling value proposition is a combination of
strategic planning and tactical execution.
• A solid value proposition drives the tagline and establishes the foundation
for your brand.
Copyright 2010 SISUTEK
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23. THANK YOU
To obtain our Value Proposition Audit Worksheet
or to schedule a webinar or onsite presentation
for your organization or group, contact:
Toral Cowieson
tcowieson@sisutek.com
www.sisutek.com
Join the Value Proposition Best Practices group
@sisutek
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