One of my longtime friends, who also happens to be an expert writer and consummate marketing expert, has always been fond of saying “In America, you are what you say you are until proven otherwise.” I love that line because you can apply it to just about any facet of life, politics certainly but also your personal or business life as well. But for me, I always pull it out whenever anyone wants to talk about their value proposition and price.
Money talks
By Barbara Bix
Shortly after I got up this morning, I strolled over to Marketing Over Coffee for a quick shot before heading off to work and found this great article, entitled How to restore the faded luster to marketing by Rich Guha. In my opinion, it’s a “must read” for anyone looking to build a business or aiming to build a career in marketing.
It’s about the big picture
Referencing management heroes such as Peter Drucker and Ted Leavitt, the article discusses what companies have lost as marketing becomes more specialized. Guha advises marketers that wish to add significant value to the business to:
By Barbara Bix
I have a friend with a son who is a sophomore in high school. This morning, she told me that she can’t believe how many money colleges waste precious funds on expensive direct mail communications. She described the quality of the paper, the outsized packaging, and the heft of the packages they’ve been receiving–all of which she tosses in the waste bin.
Direct marketing mail campaigns are often cost-effective
Kristin Knipp offers great advice in a post previewing Hubspot’s talk at the upcoming meeting on inbound marketing for Medical Device companies. She recommends starting with defining a unique value proposition and then building a content factory to attract humans and search engines.
Value is in the eye of the beholder
Although not stated explicitly, it is essential that marketers define the value proposition with the target audience’s perspective in mind–and that the content directly contributes to the delivery of that value proposition.
In previous posts, I presented the do-it-yourself guide for creating value propositions in 3 steps and provided examples of how to apply it to develop a green value proposition and a value proposition for a professional services provider. This post provides an example of how to apply the formula to developing a value proposition for health care prospects. It also provides another tip for creating compelling value propositions.
Software value proposition for health care providers
Here’s the value proposition:
Here’s an example of how a professional service provider can apply the do-it-yourself guide for creating value propositions in 3 steps. It uses the same formula as the green value proposition example I posted last week (immediately below). This time, I’ve used it to describe the value I offer my clients as a B2B strategic marketing consultant (below the value proposition formula).
The value proposition formula
We help [your most promising prospects] that [need help with the pressing concern you address] succeed by [providing the material improvement you will deliver]. Unlike [the alternative solution], [your solution] [describe the reason why your company is a better choice] as demonstrated by [evidence that you will deliver as promised].
By Barbara Bix, B2B Marketing Consultant
Businesses today are seeking products, services, and solutions that will directly or indirectly improve their competitive advantage. As part of the sales process, buyers expect to hear how sellers’ products or services will materially contribute to the buying organization’s success–and why the seller is uniquely qualified to deliver that value. This post outlines how to step into buyers’ minds, and create value propositions that compel them to buy.
What is a value proposition?
Lots going on in Boston this month. Just got back from an information-rich panel discussion offered by the Massachusetts Technology Council entitled: Tricks of the Trade – Building Revenue Momentum in SaaS. Here are my notes.
Program description
Unlike traditional software business models which are based on one-time license sales and lump-sum cash payments, the SaaS model is predicated upon building annuity-type revenue and cash streams. Over the long-term this business model is highly attractive, but especially for early-stage companies ramping SaaS revenues poses a unique set of challenges. MassTLC has gathered a panel of accomplished SaaS operating executives to share their insights on getting the initial revenue ‘flywheel’ turning and building sustainable SaaS enterprises.
With the economy slowing, prospective buyers are scrutinizing every penny they spend. Therefore, it’s incumbent upon sellers to clearly articulate the value that prospective buyers will derive once they buy.
In recent posts, we’ve discussed the characteristics of a compelling value proposition, and the importance of concentrating your firepower on those companies that most value your capabilities. This week’s post discusses concrete steps you can take to identify, validate, and test your value propositions.
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