The YouBlog

How NOT to Write a Value Proposition

IT’S “READER BEWARE” OUT THERE ON THE WILD WILD WEB, particularly when it comes to advice on crafting a strong Value Proposition. I’m sure whoever wrote the Wikipedia entry on “Customer Value Proposition” meant well — but their advice is waaaaay off base. Yikes! If you follow their prescription, you could make it harder for someone to choose you, not easier. And you’ll certainly be a LOT less memorable with their formula.
        Don’t believe me? Check this out:

“A value-proposition should contain at least five elements:
1. current situation (including problems, causes, and effects)
2. target situation
3. when to reach the target situation
4. cost of reaching the target situation
5. the benefits of both the targeting and the achievement phases"

At least five elements?! Do you think your prospects or audience or readers are even going to remember one with all that stuff dumped on them? Not a chance.
        And all those detail points sound like parts of a proposal or a B-school treatise, not a concise description of what the buyer can achieve.
        Ultimately, a Value Proposition comes down to why your audience or prospects or readers should care about what you have to offer — and this Wikipedia entry (which is the first thing that shows up when someone Googles “value proposition”) doesn’t get anywhere near that concept.
        The “value” in Value Proposition needs to be what THEY (prospects, audience, readers) see as valuable, not what you want to achieve. So any statement that focuses on your agenda, or your products or services, is NOT a value proposition, no matter how loudly you proclaim it to be so — nor how resolutely a Wikipedia entry describes it. It’s not your value proposition, it’s theirs.

For more on this topic, check out “How Good Is Your Value Proposition?”

It’s Rough, But It Works

IT WASN’T A LIFE-CHANGING EXPERIENCE, but I got a wonderful glimpse of the future this weekend, courtesy of my friend, Laura Fitton (in the picture at left), and the folks at Startup Weekend2 here in Boulder. The picture above is a screen grab from a session they ran, where Laura hosted various entrepreneurs-to-be making pitches to Guy Kawasaki (above, at right) and others.
        The intriguing thing was that the startup experts weren’t in Boulder, they were patched in via simple video feeds. And people could send comments or questions that were displayed below the video images. You can see these episodes here.
        There’s a great object lesson for all business communications in what you see in these clips. These aren’t polished, professionally-produced efforts — but they are immediate and authentic and very compelling. That’s what Laura was going for, and she nailed it.
        Authentic trumps Polished any day. This is true whether you’re working on a presentation for a large crowd or trying to make a pitch to your boss for more help. Getting to the point of what really matters is far more important, and more compelling, than having a perfectly choreographed speech.
        Keep your eye on Laura’s Mediacasters site. It’ll be fun to see what she comes up with.

Are You Predictable?

WOULDN’T YOU AGREE: “Predictable” = “Boring”? And to extend this: “Predictable” = “Invisible”. We certainly know it when we see it, and we tend to tune out quickly when encounter things that are predictable-boring-irrelevant-et al.
        Case in point: When you get a telemarketing call, how often do you listen to the whole message? And if you do listen to the whole thing, are you ever surprised? Probably not.
        Same thing happens with the majority of presentations, B2B cold calls, prospecting emails, PR releases, and so on. Most are so formulaic as to be invisible. And if you are following a formula, you’re definitely weakening your chances.
        Imagine this: A vendor comes to meet with you and they open up a laptop. What’s going to happen next? They’re probably going to open up a presentation. And then do. So what’s coming next? Right — a Title slide? And next? Yep, an Agenda slide. And at this point, you probably want to run out screaming, “Noooooo!” (because you know how deadly boring this is likely to be).
        Same thing happens with prospecting calls, voice mails, and emails, except that the receiver now has a delete key to quickly lessen their pain.

So . . .
Why do people persist in being Predictable? Because it’s easier. Because they’ve never tried a different approach. Or because someone above them has insisted that “This is the way we do it here.”
        The problem is that your rationale is irrelevant to those you want to influence.
        To break out of the trench of Predictability, you need to think about what really matters to the people you want to influence, then think about how to most effectively show them that you have an answer for their needs.
        Chances are you don’t need PowerPoint to do this. You can probably create an incredibly potent picture just with words. Same goes for cold calls and emails.
        And if you really do need slideware, you certainly don’t need a title slide. Instead, start off with an image that captures what you really want to express, and you’ll definitely break out of the mold of “Predictable”.

For another view on this same idea, check out Seth Godin’s latest post: “Why bother having a resume?” He makes a really good case for not following the norm.

Related posts:
  · Typecasting
  · Are You Easy to Ignore?

Puncturing Persuasion

SETH GODIN TAKES ON CIALDINI and all scientific marketers in a thought-provoking post: “How do I persuade you?” He effectively questions whether there’s anything a marketer or sales executive can do to consistently influence others. And without directly calling out Robert Cialdini and his six Principles of Persuasion, Seth makes a case for not relying on any one set of tactics for all your customers, clients, or prospects.
        Okay.
        Now what?

The punchline is that we need to listen to those we hope to influence, and then adapt our approach accordingly. We can still use Cialdini’s six principles, but only as appropriate to a given situation (and never all six at once).
        I realize this is a lot easier in 1:1 or small group situations. Ask questions and follow the path their answers reveal. This does takes extra effort, and you have to be comfortable with sharing control, but it’s tremendously more effective than how most people communicate (which is just to talk all about “Me”)
        And the effort is even more complex when you’re trying to reach masses, which is why so many marketers fall back on tricks or “sure-fire” tactics. (I still shudder at the money my old company spent trying to decide which had a better response rate, blue ink or green ink.)
        But even this starts at the same place: ask what matters and listen to what they say. Don’t try to validate your biases or expectations, be open to what’s in their heads and in their hearts. Then respond appropriately.
        And if you think this won’t work in marketing to the masses, maybe you shouldn’t be marketing to the masses . . .

Dashing Expectations

DINING OUT AND PRESENTATIONS are both multi-sensory experiences. The taste of the food is not all that matters, and the content of your presentation is not all that affects an audience. Here’s today’s parable . . .
        We went out last night, planning to have a modest dinner. We ended up at a place that sure looked modest. That’s when the Good News/Bad News experience started. We were seated at modest tables in the loft area, just under the painted duct work. The menu I got was frayed and had big stains on it (Was this place too modest?), but the descriptions of the menu items sounded fantastic — and the prices were anything but modest. I ordered artichoke soup and some crepe thingy with chicken, goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and an amazing sauce.
        But the silverware looked and felt like rejects from a soup kitchen. One of the forks I got was bent almost in half. And the feel of those wretched utensils on my lips took a lot of the enjoyment out of those wonderful tastes. Then, someone in the kitchen burned something badly, and the fumes that assaulted us killed any lingering tastes. For all the great flavor of our food, it was a horrible dining experience.
        Similar things happen millions of times a day, in presentations all across the globe. Great content is hampered or killed because the presenter doesn’t take the time or effort to make sure their message is tailored to the needs and interests of his or her audience. Like the server who gave me the warped fork or the cook who sent acrid fumes across the restaurant, too many presenters keep trotting out the same old presentation, loaded with bullets and obtuse graphics. They care more about getting their job done, instead of making their audience’s experience the best it can be.
        You know, every presenter I’ve worked with has had a good story to tell. Most of them just don’t know how to bring it out, or have taken the easy way out by talking all about “Me”.
        Don’t be one of them. Don’t look for the most expedient way to get your slides done. Focus on what your audience needs, then make your story as clear and compelling as possible. Otherwise, you may just scorch your opportunity.

What Does Your Value Proposition Look Like?

GRAPHICS CAN REALLY HELP YOU express your message — provided they are appropriate. But they work against you if the audience or reader is left going “Huh?” And I felt a lot of Huh?s recently when I did a search on Value Proposition images.
        Yikes! What were these people thinking? A graphic should help explain something that otherwise can’t be easily understood, but the majority of these are just visual noise. Worse, most are all about “Me”, which is NOT what a good value proposition is about.
        The “value” in Value Proposition isn’t what you offer, it’s what your customer or client or prospect can gain. In its purest form, a Value Proposition is about them, not you. It’s about what they can achieve.
        A Value Proposition isn’t a thing, it’s an experience or a result or a feeling — something you can’t easily capture in visual form. When you try to draw or design it, you’re putting boundaries on it. Where it should be framed is in the minds of the people you’re trying to influence.
        Painting a mental picture of how your offerings can help them is great. Give them a compelling idea of how their business can be improved and they’ll fill in all kinds of detail that is relevant to them. And that will have much more power than anything you can show.
        (Just don’t use bullet points to paint that picture . . .)

Monkey See, Monkey Do?

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO to make a sale or influence someone? If your prospect or colleague stood on his head or broke into song, would you join in? Sounds extreme, I know, but “Science” says that might be the winning strategy.
        I’m on this riff after reading an item in the New York Times a few days ago. In an article titled “You Remind Me of Me”, author Benedict Carey cites a number of scientific studies by social psychologists that suggest mirroring another person’s actions and inflections will help them feel more positively disposed toward you, and thus toward whatever you are proposing.
        This isn’t exactly new. Lots of advice on selling, and even NeuroLinguistic Programming (NLP), recommends mirroring those we’re trying to influence. What these new studies show, however, is that timing is a critical element. You can’t just copy what someone else does, you need to delay — by a couple of seconds — before copying a movement or intonation.
        The article is worth reading, and you’ll definitely pick up some clues about how to use this, ahh, tactic more effectively. And I’m not against adapting to someone else’s rhythm or pace — that’s just being attuned to where they are at a given moment.

The Gotcha Moment?
What is suggested in the article is not fool-proof, however. First, if you’re found out by your target, you’re hosed. Any semblance of a relationship or affiliation you might have been building will be gone.
        But even if you’re really good and really subtle at it, is this the best use of your energies and talents? I think not. If you’re watching your subject and matching, ever so imperfectly, their mannerisms and inflections, then you’re not fully engaged in the conversation. It becomes a game of tactics designed to get them to a single “Yes”, rather than building a relationship that will last and be mutually beneficial for both. This kind of subterfuge reminds me of the “Evil Salesman” I wrote about in Another Black Eye?

My recommendation: just be yourself and have an honest, authentic conversation. If you’re speaking from the heart, and you have something they’ll find compelling, then everything else falls away.

The Blindfold Test

IF YOU WERE BLINDFOLDED, how much of your presentation or sales pitch could you deliver? I’m not suggesting you actually do it that way (that’s bizarre even by my standards), but it’s an incredibly effective way to gauge how well you know your material — and where the problem spots may lurk.
        You don’t even need a blindfold; just close your eyes and try it. Stand up if you like, particularly if you’re prepping for a presentation. Once you get past the novelty (and discomfort?) of going through it without engaging your eyes, your efforts are likely to match your probable effectiveness.

        Does it flow smoothly, start to finish? Then you’ll probably sail through it.

        Do you hit snags or forget what’s coming next? That’s where you’re likely to stumble in the “live” version of your presentation or pitch. When that happens, you’ll rely on the text on your slides or the print-out of your script to carry you through — neither of which makes for a compelling connection with your audience or prospect.

        Do you need graphs and charts to be able to tell your story? Then maybe your story is too complex. (I’m not saying graphics are bad, but too often they’re used as a crutch. And overly complex graphics ARE bad — for your audience and your results.)

Give it a try. Closing your eyes could reveal how effective you really are.

The Rest Can Be A Total Mess

THE MIND IS AN INCREDIBLY POWERFUL THING. Check out today’s example:

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too. Cna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
 
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

So much for spell checkers . . .

And you know what this tells us about communications? That people get your point — quickly — if your core idea is clear and concise. In fact, they’ll jump through all kinds of mental hoops to fill in any gaps, as long as your message is clear.
        You know what else? They’ll ignore buckets full of mannerisms if what you have to say is really compelling. So rather than worry about how you say something, make sure that what you say is something important to them.

<note>
I’m not sure of the source of this, ah, quote. I got it from my wife, who got it from a friend of hers (sounds like a disease?). As for the picture, I found it here.

Great Headlines

THERE IS AN ART to really great headlines. You don’t necessarily see them every day, and you may not even dwell on them when you do encounter them. They’re not supposed to call attention to themselves. And yet, in a few short words, a really great headline can transform your understanding about a story.
        I’m on this track after viewing headlines in our local papers for stories about yesterday’s football playoffs. Two games were played, to pick the teams to go to the Super Bowl. Both games were played in wretchedly cold weather. Both games were reasonably close and, in their own ways, exciting.
        So, if you’re the headline writer, what do you do?
        One local paper featured only the Giants-Green Bay game, creating a clever riff based on the name of the Giants’s field goal kicker, Lawrence Tynes. His kick in overtime — his third try over the last part of the game — won it for the Giants. And so this local writer penned: “For Giants, third Tynes a charm”. Not bad, but . . .
        The other local paper gave both games the same weight and came up with this:

        “Super Bowl brrrths”

Wow. Three short words and you know a lot about what’s to come. In fact, that one made-up word says it all — these stories are about matches played in COLD weather, with everything on the line. It’s brilliant.

So why bring it up?

Here’s why this example is important, whether you’re working on a presentation, crafting an important email, or preparing a pitch to your board of directors:

Distilling your ideas into a few short words makes your message so much easier to digest and recall. Done well, it positions your ideas right at the start. And when your audience or the person reading your email has a strong, positive picture of what’s to come, they’ll be much more receptive.

Don’t even worry about being clever. Just be concise. It works wonders.