I’m going to be very frank: your Value Proposition isn’t enough. But it could be — with a little work. Don’t worry, we’ll get there.

The way I usually see them used, Value Propositions should be drawn, quartered, and done away with entirely.

They should be useful. After all, if you can communicate your value proposition, then a customer will know why they should do business with you, right? 

Instead of helping your business, they act as a substitute for service and execution.

They’re fine in theory. Here’s the problem: your customers have real problems and need real solutions. You and every other salesperson ever have told them what they want to hear. Why should they believe you? How do you prove yourself to them?

Whether you’re in the space or not, there’s some famous writing advice you’ve probably heard: Show, don’t tell. It should now inform everything you think about value propositions.

Talk Is Cheap

Customers don’t want to hear what you have to say about your value. They just want value. Show it to them. Do something.

If you give your customer something of value, they’ll believe that you are valuable. Maybe that’s a free service or resource. Maybe it’s a prepared CMA for their neighborhood. The what isn’t as important as its gravity: You get to decide how to show your value, so you should make sure it’s actually valuable.

Service Is The Best Value Proposition

Money and success follow the person that serves without thinking about the reward. Reputation is the biggest part of any local marketing strategy. Are you building a good one?

Service is key. Yes, you should define what makes your services valuable, but that definition should involve high levels of service and execution — both things, by the way, that you can’t communicate simply with words.

Learn from the world of writing. Don’t oversell your value proposition through words. Show your potential customers why they should work with you by doing something.

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