Too many websites I visit spend a lot of time telling me why I should like their product or service. But they do very little to help me understand their offering.

This post was originally published on LinkedIn

Writing a value proposition is an exercise I love to do. It works wonders to reach a shared understanding why the development of a certain product/service should be pursued and why it is relevant to a market and target group. It also helps communicating it to others.

What should be in a value proposition

Target Group

Whose problem does the product solve? Does it address aspecific group of people?

Requirement/Benefit

What need does the target group have and how do they benefit from the product?

Product/Service

The screwdriver, the phone plan, … what is the product? A plain and simple question that is often times so hard to express in only a few words.

Product Category

What type/group of things does my product fall under? This information can help understand a product by comparing it to other products in the same category that a recipient already knows. ”Oh, this is just another kind of tea spoon.”

Core Value

What can the product do? What is it good at?

Competitors/Alternatives

What products are out there that are comparable to this one?

Differentiation

Why would someone choose this product over that of a competitor?

Try it out and use it

I would love to see this approach used more often in product marketing. Help me quickly understand if I am part of your target group. Help me understand my benefit, …

If I get your product, chances I’ll like it are much higher ;-)