Value Propositions Must Reflect Level of Decision Maker

By Tom Reilly, author of Value-Added Selling

Value-added salespeople penetrate their high-value target (HVT) accounts from the shop floor to the top floor. This means talking to every level of decision maker: purchasing agents, users of the product, maintainers of the product, re-sellers of the product, and high-level decision makers. Each level of decision maker has a different language that he or she speaks. To communicate effectively and persuasively your value, you must speak the language of the person on whom you are calling. One way to do this is the value proposition.

Value propositions are the stuff of marketing. Consequently, they serve a more strategic purpose—addressing the needs of market segments. Often, they are expressed as the outcome of an experience with a supplier. The promise is that the seller has created a bundle of value for this particular group (segment) of customers.

Salespeople use value propositions more tactically to communicate their value to individual customers. One company may want lower operating costs; another may want to gain traction in their market; and another may want greater throughput in their manufacturing. The salesperson must be able to present their value-added solution in a way that demonstrates the particular outcome as a value proposition.

Value-Added Selling prescribes that salespeople penetrate accounts thoroughly. Since each level of influencer and decision maker views a solution from their unique vantage points, value-added salespeople must be able to frame their value propositions so that they are relevant to the level of decision maker. For example,

• Purchasing agents are logistic thinkers. They want to hear about price, availability, packaging, shipping alternatives, and ordering options. The value proposition for this level must reflect a logistics solution.
• Users of a product have a utility mindset. They are more focused on quality, ease-of-use, training, support, and maintenance. The value proposition for this level must reflect technical concerns.
• High-level decision makers have financial responsibility. They focus on profit and loss issues—deployment and leverage of resources. Their value proposition must reflect a profit gain.

Salespeople that communicate their value at all levels of an organization are like world travelers that navigate smoothly from border to border because they know the language of the countries they visit. The outcome for the customer’s organization may be the same, but it is important to be able to communicate it in a way that resonates with the person to whom you are selling.

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