In today’s cutthroat global marketplace, it is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to set themselves apart from their countless competitors. 

You might know that you offer stellar products and provide unparalleled customer service, but how do you get the word out to the potential buyers you want to reach? 

Believe it or not, spending whatever time it takes to create and tweak the perfect set of value propositions can be a powerful way to begin driving sales and spawning that all-important buzz.

What is a value prop?

Value propositions — or value props for short — are clear statements that concisely communicate the unique value your company bestows upon the world. 

Ideally, you should create a single, overarching value prop that you disseminate to your current and potential customer base as well as to other valued stakeholders. This message can single-handedly help to instill in their minds a pithy yet accurate summation of just what you do and why they should buy products or services from you. 

You can also come up with so-called sub-props that further clarify your brand and crystalize its uniqueness in the minds of shoppers and investors alike.

Many teams fall into the trap of believing that their value prop should focus solely on touting the virtues of their business’s products or services. In fact, it is better to concentrate on how what you do, as well as how the products you sell, will solve a problem the customer is having in a way that no other similar vendor has been able to demonstrate. 

Furthermore, your value prop should be not only clear and easy for your customer to understand but also highly credible. If people don’t trust that you will be able to deliver on your promises, even the most amazing value prop will fall flat and could even be counterproductive and damaging to your reputation.

Creating your unique value props.

Although making a profit, furnishing customers with excellent products and rising above the competition are hallmarks of virtually all businesses, you can think of value props as being as unique as snowflakes. 

In fact, no two companies will have the same value props. That’s because value props are, by their very definition, customized to separate their creator from every other similar business. 

Nevertheless, although your value prop will be bespoke, there are certain common elements that you might want to consider as you work to create your own one-of-a-kind message.

One springboard to your value props can come when you consider how your products and services will help your customers to accomplish a specific task or get a particular problem solved. 

Learn what steps your rivals are taking to relieve this client pain point, and then come up with ways that your business surpasses what they are doing. Of course, your next job is to communicate this to investors and customers.

Now think about some of the behind-the-scenes aspects of your company that, while more subtle and less glamorous, are still vitally important to your customers. 

One strong example is the back-office infrastructure you have put in place that allows you to get paid for the products and services you sell. Whether you are just starting out and have a small client base or you accept payments in multiple currencies in your global-facing company, people want to know that their financial details and contact information are safe from digital criminals.

In addition, these same shoppers have every right to expect that they are dealing with a highly credible seller who makes online security a top priority. 

When you implement 3-D Secure card payments, for instance, you demonstrate that you are willing to go the extra mile to verify the payee’s identity.

The underlying foundation of your value props actually depends on the integrity of the online payment processor you choose. 

After all, it is this company who will facilitate all of your transactions; it is they who will implement the processes and procedures necessary to ensure that data encryption measures and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) protocols are followed to the letter. 

With a strong payment partner at your side, you can create value propositions that you can feel good about because you know you and your vendor collaborators are doing everything possible to bring about and protect a smooth, seamless and secure payment experience from start to finish.

Where to use your value props.

Just how and when do you introduce people to your value props? In a word, as often as possible. Customers should encounter your main statement at every touchpoint, from introduction to product sale and delivery. 

Others, including staff and investors, should also be aware of what sets your company apart so that the message never loses its power and consistency.

As you and your team work together to create and modify your prop statements, keep in mind that you should not simply be parroting your mission or vision messages. 

Props don’t focus on your company; their intent should be to encapsulate what you and your merchandise or services can uniquely do to meet your buyers’ needs. 

Maybe your products help people get things done; perhaps they help a customer to make money or burnish their image. What you are marketing might even provide an unparalleled experience or be more convenient than any other solution on the market.

Whatever the hook, your value props have the potential to be extremely powerful. When carefully crafted with your customers and their needs in mind and when communicated effectively, they can provide both a road map and a catalyst. 

As long as you furnish your buyers with products and services that live up to the expectations you have raised, your value props can be the secret sauce that helps to elevate your brand above the rest.