A value proposition is defined as a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service.
Are you sure that your sales channel understands why your company’s services are special and why people should buy it?
More importantly, can you be sure they can communicate this value.
Your sales channel, like any sales organization, is bombarded by messages from your company today- corporate messages, product announcements, product enhancements, service enhancements, but do they know what makes your services unique, and how to communicate that value?
The sales team is your front lines.
Advertising can communicate your company’s differentiators and create interest and engagement with prospects and current customers but sales is the living embodiment of that message.
The communications sales has on behalf of your company shape others impression of your company. I think most companies today realize a brand is a living, breathing thing and that each and every employee must be a steward of your brand. But consistency is key. Consistently presenting a brand clearly, being able to truly articulate a brand’s positioning builds brand equity– the value that a brand holds.
I am sure your company has a brand guidelines document but truth be told most people don’t spend much time with that information. Often people think this is only a marketing tool. Brand guidelines usually include visual standards and templates. That’s important to creating brand equity too as it’s an important part to ensuring a consistent brand experience. BUT why is educating your sales team on your value proposition even more important?
There are two things to think about here: brand positioning and communicating value.
Here is why they are different.
What is brand positioning?
Brand positioning can most easily be defined by what a brand stands for.
Brand positioning provides a platform for translating a company’s strategy into more specific communications and expressions of that brand.
How does brand positioning relate to a value proposition?
A value proposition is a business or marketing statement that summarizes why a consumer should buy a product or use a service. So if the brand positioning is the WHAT, what a brand is, what it means; the proposition is the WHY. Why should a consumer care? Why should someone buy from YOU.
Why a consumer should buy your products and services is the single most important thing your company’s employees should be able to communicate. Honestly companies should be quizzing employees in elevators on this stuff? Hey Joe, why should a customer buy our products? Tell me in one sentence.
If your company hasn’t clearly laid this out and articulate it to employees, to sales, how can you be sure they are then communicating your value – to your agents and to consumers?
Here’s some steps you can take to get clear on your value proposition.
1. Make sure you have a strong and concise value proposition.
2. Create your brand champions! Have a launch plan. Plan fun company-wide
meeting and announcements to create adoption AND understanding.
3. Provide cheat sheets to your sales team to ensure they can communicate the value proposition. This could include:
• Guidelines for how the value prop translates to messaging and content for communications.
• Ways to use them in everyday interactions with agencies and customers.
Need help defining your value proposition or how to education your sales channel on how to best communicate it? TLF can help. Contact us to start the conversation.