Create A B2B Value Proposition That Converts

What’s the difference between a high performing lead generation campaign? And one that’s mediocre, at best?

The answer might surprise you.

From what I’ve seen, the difference in performance almost always comes down to the b2b value proposition.

Companies that are super specific about their positioning never have trouble getting leads.

But businesses that haven’t refined their value proposition may struggle to get new clients.

Ready for the scary part?

Marketing Experiments evaluated hundreds of b2b value propositions. And they found that only 2.2% of companies were able to effectively articulate the value of their offers.

Yikes!

So in this article we’ll look at a 4 step process to create a b2b value proposition that brings in qualified leads.

How To Create A Compelling B2B Value Proposition

So what’s a value proposition, anyway?

In simplest terms, a value proposition is a statement that tells the buyer what outcome they’ll get.

That’s it. Not too difficult, right!?

It’s worth mentioning two things that generally AREN’T part of your b2b value proposition.

First, price is usually not a part of the b2b value proposition. The focus is on outcomes, not relative costs.

Second, don’t say what you do. Instead, tell prospective buyers what they’ll get.

For your value proposition to be compelling, it needs to include 3 pieces of information.

Who Do You Serve?

The more specific you are about your sales targeting, the better. Your targeting should be so specific that your audience immediately recognizes themselves.

The #1 rule for providing value is to niche down. Be hyper intentional about who you want to help. And why you’re the best option available.

Consider a butcher. They can sell meat to pretty much anyone (other than vegetarians). But that lack of focus actually makes it harder to sell meat. It’s easier to build a business around a specific niche.

For example: We supply BBQ restaurants with fine meats your customers will rave about.

Just make sure your niche is big enough to support your growth.

What Do They Want?

A solid b2b value proposition solves a very specific pain point. Ideally, it’s something your target audience really wants to resolve.

This is the ‘outcome’ that you want your audience to be excited about.

Refer to the BBQ example above. Maybe some restaurants have trouble getting a steady supply of meat at times. In which case the value proposition becomes:

We provide BBQ restaurants with a guaranteed supply of fine meats your customers will rave about.

You can only create your value proposition if you understand your prospect’s challenges.

How Do You Do It?

You need to share HOW you are going to achieve the intended outcome. Sometimes there are multiple ways to create the desired result.

Consider our lead generation services. We connect our clients with decision makers using cold email, because it works. But we could generate leads using paid ads, cold calling, social media, events, or other methods.

Your value proposition doesn’t change depending on who you contact. It’s baked into your company’s DNA. Someone visiting your website should immediately think, “this is exactly what I’m looking for!”

And when that happens, you know you got it right.

B2B Value Proposition Template

Step #1: Focus on Value Creation

Your past successes can become a template for your future contributions.

So answer a few questions about how you create value, and for whom.

List the last 10 or 20 clients you worked with. Who are they? What are the characteristics of their businesses?

Which clients got the most value from your solutions? Why them? What was different?

Which clients did you most enjoy working with? Why?

How did you make a REAL impact on their business? What changed?

Can you replicate that same outcome for others?

STOP!

I know it’s tempting to just read these questions and move on. But give some real thought to who you’ve helped in the past.

Step #2: Fill In The Blanks

When you’re ready, use this one sentence template to create your own b2b value proposition.
Don’t worry if the sentence is a bit rough. It’s just meant to capture your ideas.

We help ______________________ (your specific niche)

eliminate ____________________ (their pain point)

and get _______________________ (their benefit)

by ____________________________ (how you do it).

Step #3: Identify The Key Outcome

Once you’ve filled in the blanks, identify the key outcome you’ll deliver. And use this to refine your b2b value proposition.

For Sales Higher we would write:

We help small businesses eliminate cold email uncertainty and connect them with decision makers by email outreach.

The key outcome is meeting decision makers. So this becomes:

We connect you with decision makers interested in your solutions.

Step #4: Make It About Them

You may want to stop at step #3. But if it’s appropriate you can eliminate references to your brand to focus on their outcomes. So in our case it would become:

Meet decision makers interested in your solutions.

Congratulations!

If you followed the 4 steps then you have a powerful value proposition!

Examples of Effective B2B Value Propositions

But it might help to look at a couple of companies that are doing an incredible job of communicating their b2b value proposition.

First is LawRank. They offer SEO services to law offices and their value proposition is build into the name of the company. SEO is needed in every industry, but they niche down to only legal firms. Their value proposition is exceptionally clear. When you open the home page you’re greeted with:

Grow Your Law Firm

 
That’s powerful stuff!

Rankings.io takes the idea of niching down to a whole new level. They don’t just focus on law firms. They niche down to focus a subset of personal injury attorneys. Imagine finding their website as a personal injury lawyer. You’d immediately know you’ve found the right place. Their value proposition is:

We help elite personal injury law firms dominate first page rankings

 
Wow!

Consider SnackNation’s concise value proposition. In just 9 words they cover:

Who it’s for → People with teams
The benefit → Delighted teams (so you look like a superstar)
How they do it → with epic snacks and gift boxes

Delight your team with epic snacks and gift boxes

 
That’s impressive.

Share Your B2B Value Proposition

I’d love to hear your value proposition.

And if you need some help creating one, let me know. You can message me on Linkedin or send a message on our contact page.

Look forward to hearing from you!