Service Value Proposition Design

The value proposition challenge that can make or break a consulting firm. While there are countless ways in which a value proposition determines both a long-term strategy of a consulting firm and daily operations, there are six facets that a well-designed consulting value proposition shapes the most: 1 It anchors services in a pressing business issue 2 It targets a specific audience/segment 3 It defines a clear, outcome-driven impact 4 It builds on a differentiating delivery process 5 It shapes the client success journey 6 It informs thought leadership and point of view In the past years, we have observed that when consulting firms get the value proposition wrong, the performance declines in every part of the consultancy. That's why Florian and I created this VALUE PROPOSITION QUADRANT. 🟢 Q4 - The Gold Standard (Strong Value Proposition + High Need Problem) These firms solve a must-fix issue, and clients see them as the partners to call. Pricing power is high, and most clients have a budget line item for solving this problem. 🟡 Q3 - The Undervalued Firm (Weak Value Proposition + High Need Problem) The problem is high stakes, but the firm’s consulting proposition is weak. Clients struggle to see why it's the best choice. The opportunity exists, but the consulting firm is underselling its impact. 🔵 Q2 - The Nice-to-Have Club (Strong Value Proposition + Low Need Problem) The offering is sharp and differentiated, but doesn’t address an urgent priority. Clients might be interested, but won’t commit resources. These consulting firms close deals in good times but struggle when budgets tighten. 🔴 Q1 - The Consulting Graveyard (Weak Value Proposition + Low Need Problem) No urgency. No compelling offer. Endless selling cycles, price pressure, and slow-moving deals. These consulting firms spend more time convincing clients that the problem matters than solving it. 2 CRITICAL SHIFTS TO MOVE TO THE GOLD STANDARD: 1️⃣ Solve a truly mission-critical problem. Is there a budget line item for solving this issue? If not, it’s not urgent enough. Would inaction result in financial loss, regulatory risk, or competitive decline? If not, reposition. Q4 is about solving what clients cannot ignore. 2️⃣ Make the value proposition unmissable. Stop selling capabilities and start selling transformations for specific buyers. Define a differentiated delivery process, not another version of what already exists. If clients say, “We’ve seen this before,” it's a losing game. 👉 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗢𝗪 Here's what Florian and I observe: - The market is getting more competitive every week - The battle for attention has dramatically intensified - The AI hype fuels additional hesitation - Decision-making is slower - Budgets are tied But consulting firms that lack a compelling, must-have proposition will suffer more. Winning is about owning the Q4, solving a critical problem, and resisting the pull to dilute the consultancy’s proposition.

Value Proposition is an essential term for PMs. But it's largely misunderstood. And everyone defines it differently. It doesn't help that the most popular canvas: - Focuses on multiple products - Lumps jobs, pains, and gains without explaining their connections - Doesn't clarify what gain/pain relief each feature addresses - Doesn’t mention existing alternatives or workarounds Recently, Aatir Abdul Rauf and I collaborated to bring some order. A good value proposition defines: 1. Who is the value for: Persona 2. Why is it important: Jobs to be Done 3. What before: Existing, problematic state (e.g., maintaining tasks in Excel) 4. How: Features and capabilities (e.g., Kanban board) 5. What after: The benefits and outcomes (e.g., organized tasks with clear deadlines, increased productivity) 6. Alternatives: your unique value, unique attributes, and optionally relative pricing vs. competitors and substitutes (often represented as a Value Curve). What I loved about this format is that it allows you to tell the story. Value propositions are great alignment tools for PMs, leadership, and cross-functional teams. They are also an essential part of your product strategy. If: - Your product solves specific problems way better than alternatives - You message it effectively - You can quickly and easily onboard your customers ("Aha moment") - Your product delivers the benefits promised Your customers will be unable to resist. --- Hope that helps. 🎁 A free template (Google Docs): https://lnkd.in/d59tbVJy --- P.S. You can download 30+ high-definition product infographics here (PDF): https://lnkd.in/d5bHGj5j And here, you can read our full post with case studies: https://lnkd.in/du9zcZDA

Want a Value Proposition That Actually Works? 🎯 "So... what do you do?" That moment of hesitation. That generic "I help people" response. We've all been there, watching potential clients' eyes glaze over. 😬 Ready to turn those awkward moments into opportunities? Here's my proven 6-step framework for a magnetic value proposition: 1️⃣ The Hook: You have exactly 10 seconds to make someone care. Make them count. 2️⃣ Who You Are: Position yourself as the guide who's been there, done that (not just another service provider). 3️⃣ What You Do: Break it down into this simple formula: "I help [specific client] who struggle with [exact problem] by [your unique approach]" 4️⃣ Why It Matters: Show the transformation. What changes after they work with you? 5️⃣ Social Proof: Drop in a quick win or result that proves your approach works. 6️⃣ Call to Action: Make clear what next steps are... who will do what, by when Real Example: "I am a recruiter and consultant for exceptional wealth management teams. I've been in the space for 26 years and add a lot of value, credibility, and expertise to my clients who struggle with a growth path, succession plan, or strategic M+A at their current firm. We follow a clear discovery process that always focuses on what's most important to you and your clients." 📌 Tip: Listen to yourself saying it. Play it back. If you stumble, simplify. If you bore yourself, sharpen it. Remember: Clear beats clever. ↪️ Specific beats generic. ↪️ And confused prospects never become clients. #SalesSuccess #BusinessGrowth #ValueProposition

💡Using Value Proposition Canvas for Refining Product-Market Fit Value Proposition Canvas (VPC) is a tool developed by Strategyzer that helps businesses create products or services that closely align with customer needs. It is a part of the broader Business Model Canvas (https://lnkd.in/dHkuVfsj) but focuses specifically on the value a business delivers to its customers. The VPC consists of 2 sides: 1️⃣ Customer Profile: This part helps you understand your customer in detail. 2️⃣ Value Map: This part is about how your product or service creates value for the customer. 🍏 Customer Profile This part is divided into three segments, all focused on the customer’s perspective: ✔ Jobs to Be Done: These are the jobs that the customer wants to complete with your product (https://lnkd.in/dZGPZ8kG). They can be functional (e.g., performing a specific task), social (e.g., gaining social status), or emotional (e.g., feeling safe). Think of this as what your customer is trying to achieve. ✔ Pains: These represent the negative experiences or risks that the customer encounters while trying to accomplish their jobs. Pains include anything that makes the job difficult or frustrating: time constraints, costs, poor product performance, etc. ✔ Gains: These are the positive outcomes or benefits the customer seeks. Gains can be functional (e.g., task efficiency), emotional (e.g., feeling happy or secure), or social (e.g., looking good to others). They represent the customer’s expectations, desires, and delighters. 🍎 Value Map This part helps you articulate how your product or service creates value. It mirrors the customer profile and also has three segments: ✔ Product or service: These are the offerings your business provides that help the customer get their jobs done. List everything you offer that is relevant to the customer’s needs. ✔ Pain relievers: These describe how your product reduces or eliminates customer pains. The goal here is to address the specific pain points identified in the Customer Profile. ✔ Gain creators: These explain how your product or service creates gains or helps customers achieve their desired outcomes. Gain creators should link directly to the customer gains you previously identified. 📕 How to Use the Value Proposition Canvas, step by step ✔ Customer research: Start by researching your customers to accurately fill in the Customer Profile. Interview them and analyze their behavior to collect insights about their jobs, pains, and gains. ✔ Value mapping: Once you complete the Customer Profile, map out how your product/service relieves pains and creates gains. ✔ Concept validation: Continuously refine both the Customer Profile and Value Map as you gather more customer feedback & ensure your value proposition remains relevant. #UX #design #productdesign #uxdesign