“Our Value Proposition is…”

By Tibor Shanto
Frankly, who cares?
Your prospects sure don’t! No, seriously!
Some of your customers maybe; your competitors – when it serves their needs.
Oh ya, the marketing team that “developed” the “value prop” does.  But weren’t you telling me Tuesday that they’ve never been out on a client call?  What really counts in the real world (you know where sales are made), is the prospects’ and clients’ perception and definition of value.  Rather than leading with “our value proposition is,” work to mutually develop one with the prospect. 
One Track Mind
Sadly too many salespeople start the day armed with nothing more than a singular view of their Value Proposition.  Prospecting consists of regaling anyone who’ll listen with that value prop.  Unsuspecting prospects thinking they are meeting with an SME, are commonly probed for pain and fit.  Almost all executives point to one kind of sales meeting they hate most.  When salespeople ask a