Why Your Audience Doesn’t Believe Your Value Proposition

Have you considered that your audience doesn’t believe your value proposition because you’re too far above what they’re looking for? More isn’t always better. Sometimes it just sounds like an exaggeration, even if it’s true. Here’s what we mean.

The “Before and After” Conundrum

One of the most stark value propositions in the fitness industry. Before and after photos of workout progress or diet plans are proof—conclusive proof—that XYZ branded plan works…right?

Here’s the problem: People tend to not believe “before” and “after” pictures. It’s not that we always think there’s something fishy going on, or that the pictures were photoshopped. We just tend to believe that the cream of the crop was chosen to dazzle us. So if that’s what success looks like, then what do the failures look like? And why did they fail? Because knowing how not to fail is almost as important as knowing how to succeed.

One Step—Not an Entire Staircase—Above Average

But there’s another element to the value proposition of before-and-afters—or in the case of business interactions, case studies and proof points and testimonials: People just know that their own circumstances don’t match those of the lady who went from normal-looking legs to having toned quads capable of squatting a kodiak bear. What does the average look like? Are businesses doing enough to show us their average implementations, results, impacts?People tend not to believe that they can be the best case scenario. But they might believe they can come within 80% of what you say you can help people accomplish. So that means if you have the solution to the challenge your audience is facing, then you need to demonstrate how your value proposition is 20% beyond what they really want to achieve. That way they can have confidence that they can at least hit their goal, and maybe achieve a little more, as well.

So why only 20% beyond their mark? Why not 200% or 2,000%? Well first it’s an arbitrary number. But it’s also not so far beyond what they need that they feel overwhelmed, or like they are overpaying for value they don’t need. Someone interested in buying a truck isn’t always interested in owning a tractor-trailer. Don’t sell tractor-trailers when all they want is a Ford F150. But don’t sell them a 10-year-old F150, either: yes, it’s what they said they want…and yet it’s not, because there’s no room for growth.

When you can show customers that you’re extra—just a bit more than what they were bargaining for—then they get a bargain, and they can grow with (not into) their new product or service.

How to Help Customers Grow with Your Solution

You might be wondering right now, “Wait a minute—why am I reading about customer retention on a marketing blog about value propositions?” Because customers are rarely buying something just for their immediate need. Customer retention is a pre-sales strategy, not just a task for the customer success team.

Whether you’re selling a pair of jeans or migrating servers with digital transformation, your audience has to see immediate resolution, plus long-term possibilities.

On the B2C side, fashion company ABLE doesn’t just sell you jeans—they sell quality working conditions for women around the world, sustainably-sourced materials, and a quality product that will last you for years.

On the B2B side, most SaaS products come in tiered subscription levels so that you never pay for more than you need, and you are always able to grow your system capabilities along with your business.

So what are you doing to go 20% beyond what your customer is actually looking for? And after they’ve signed, how do you keep up the promise of 20% extra?

You’ve probably seen companies spend a great deal of money on products or services far bigger than what they need—like enterprise level CRMs, for example—on the possibility that maybe they’ll need it. You can beat the industry giants by showing your audience that you have what they need now, and you have the ability to be what they need even when their needs change in the future.

I Need It. I Want It. I Understand It. I Can’t Get It Anywhere Else Like This.”

Your message comes down to 4 simple statements:

I Need It. Your audience has to have a need, and know that they have the need.

I Want It. Your audience is solving their need right now. It may not be a perfect solution, but it’s good enough. They have to want a different option badly enough to stop doing what they’re doing right now.

I Understand It. Your audience needs to know what’s different, special, or unique about the solution you are offering. You can talk about the vision, but they need to understand what it looks like in day-to-day life. This is where going that extra 20% comes in—you have to prove to them that your solution is the real deal.

I Can’t Get It Like This Anywhere Else. Your industry is full of similar products, all vying for the same market share, and most of those products look an awful lot alike. Does your audience know what they’re missing out on when they choose not to buy from you? Are you able to communicate that effectively?

How You Can Pitch a Value Proposition Your Audience Believes

There’s an entire bundle of frameworks that you can use to create meaningful, unique value statements that your brand believes: We call it the Differentiated Message Bundle.Rogue’s Differentiated Message Bundle has the templates and tools to help you do the heavy thinking before you do the heavy lifting required for explosive marketing growth.Templates make the work simple, but that doesn’t mean the work isn’t hard. That’s where Rogue can help. If you’re ready to work with a group that thinks about marketing from the perspective of the rest of the business, then there’s a group of rogue marketers who can help. We’re just a click away.