I recently gave a talk on why a Value Prop matters. As part of that talk, I shared a simplified 5-step approach any business person could use to create a message platform that consistently communicates an offering and reaches a target market with a consistent marketing and sales effort (see Introduction to the Book: “Your Message Matters“).

So, here it is….

A Five Point Plan for Creating an Effective Message Platform:

1. Start with the truth:

The fact that you have something of value for your customer is the basis of your business. If a product isn’t distinct in some meaningful way, little else will help. However, being great is not enough. Even being the best is not enough. The imperative for today’s companies is to build a stellar message to represent your stellar product in the marketplace. Again, this is not just “spin,” as long as you start with something of real value – so, start with the truth! And if the truth isn’t good enough – think about how you can create additional value in your offering.

2. Discover your REAL value:

The essence of discovering your value is to look at all the interconnected parts of what you are selling. Namely, the products, services, support and anything else that a buyer will experience and associate with your offering. There are many steps along the way for a company to add value to a product before a buyer receives and uses it—and you have to be able to do so profitably. Think about what it is in your overall ”value chain” that really offers a distinct benefit to your customers.

3. Think like your customers:

To think like your customers you must first ask your customers what they want and need. More importantly, ask them what frustrates them. Not just in general, but about providers in your industry, and most importantly, about what frustrates them about your company and its offerings. It won’t necessarily be pleasant, but it is the key to get into the hearts and minds of your buyers.

4. Test, test, test:

As you develop your strategy, messaging, sales and marketing programs, the key to success is to test everything! Advertising and promotion, as well as direct sales campaigns can be measured and tracked easily – whether using sophisticated tools or a yellow pad. Don’t guess that a new tag line is working for you or if a lead-gen campaign is better than last year’s. You don’t have to become a statistician, but commit to examine what you do, ask questions and refine, refine, refine as you test, test, test.

5. Simplify for understanding:

Reduce the number of features or benefits in your story. Don’t reduce the actual features that make up your offering, but reduce the number of features you communicate. Reducing the number of features communicated forces you to evaluate which features really matter to prospects and enables you to deliver those points more clearly.

It is easy to feel that “more is more,” but given the crowded marketplace and ever increasing levels of market noise, you must deliver a simply understood story to your market. The more complex the product, the less effective it is to deliver the proverbial “fire hose” of information to an already overwhelmed audience.