Strategy Competitive Positioning

Value proposition in your customers' words

Why should a customer choose you over the alternatives?

A value proposition says what you deliver, why it matters, and why you deliver it better than the alternatives. Works ranks the outcomes your customers value. It then drafts three to five variants. Five to eight customers test the variants. You approve one version with three to five proof points. You share that version with all your teams.

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Updated

What you get
Value proposition · Fenwright Systems
Approved
6 / 8
tested customers who say it matters to them
3
proof points, each with a source
Mid-size manufacturers with a plant maintenance team Who it is for
Fewer unplanned machine stops Main outcome
410 manufacturers use the software Proof point
30% fewer unplanned stops at one plant in a year Proof point
Audit preparation cut from two days to one hour Proof point
All teams Shared with

Your teams use the approved statement as the base for all their messaging.

See it run

A value proposition in progress

Customers in the test
8 · Best-fit current customers
Customer tests finished 5 / 8
Run log
  1. You
    “Write a value proposition for the plant maintenance software. Test it with eight customers.”
    Your instruction
    ✓
  2. P
    Three outcomes ranked Positioning Strategist
    Your best customers named three outcomes in their own words. Fewer unplanned machine stops ranks first, because customers name it when they justify the purchase.
    ✓
  3. P
    Three variants drafted Positioning Strategist
    Each variant starts with a different outcome. You chose all three variants to test with customers.
    ✓
  4. You
    Three customer tests left You
    Five of eight customers have tested the variants. Four of the five chose the variant about fewer unplanned stops. Book calls with the last three customers.
  5. P
    Gathering proof points Positioning Strategist
    Two proof points for the main claim are ready. Each proof point names its source and its date.
    •
  6. ↓
    Ideal customer profile used Upstream
    The profile comes from Define Ideal Customer Profile.
    ✓
  7. ↓
    Customer needs research used Upstream
    The research findings come from Research Customer Needs.
    ✓
  8. ↓
    Competitor profiles used Upstream
    The profiles come from Profile Key Competitors.
    ✓
How it works

A value proposition your customers confirm

The work starts from the outcomes your best customers value and will pay for. You write those outcomes in their words. Three to five variants are drafted before any test. Five to eight customers then test the variants. Each customer says if they understand a variant and if it matters to them. The Positioning Strategist uses their exact words to rewrite the statement. The chosen variant gets three to five proof points.

What it needs
Customer needs research findings
Your ideal customer profile (ICP)
Buyer persona documents
Three to five customer success stories or outcome examples
Competitor profiles, to show how you differ
What you get

One approved value proposition, chosen from tested variants and confirmed by at least 5 customers. It has three to five proof points and is shared with all teams.

Run sequence

Start to finish

The work starts from your ideal customer profile, customer needs research and competitor profiles. Four stages produce the approved value proposition.

  1. 1
    Customer Outcomes

    Find what customers value most

    You list the top outcomes customers get
    Each outcome written in customer words
    Outcomes ranked by what customers pay for
    You + Positioning Strategist
  2. 2
    Value Proposition Drafts

    Draft several variants first

    Three to five variants written
    You decide what the variants differ on
    You choose the variants to test
    Positioning Strategist + You
  3. 3
    Customer Test Results

    Test the variants with customers

    Five to eight customers review each draft
    Their exact words are recorded
    A summary shows which variant they pick
    You + Positioning Strategist
  4. 4
    Approved Value Proposition

    Finish and share the statement

    Three to five proof points added
    You and the people you name agree on it
    The approved version shared with all teams
    Positioning Strategist + You
Before it starts

What Works asks you

A few questions in plain words. The answers set up the run for your business.

What are the top two or three outcomes your best customers get from working with you?
YouThey cut the time to do the core job from days to hours
Which outcomes will customers pay for, and not only mention as nice to have?
YouThe outcome they name when they justify the purchase inside their company
What should the variants differ on?
YouTry a bold, different claim against a safer, clearer one
How many customers should test the drafts?
YouAt least five, plus a check on how it differs from competitors
Which proof points best support the main claim?
YouThree to five specific proof points with numbers, like reduced onboarding time by 40%
Who must agree on the final statement so it is the one approved version?
YouYou plus the people who run sales and marketing
Who runs it

The agents behind this workflow

The Positioning Strategist ranks the outcomes, drafts the variants, and summarizes the customer tests. You test the variants with customers and approve the final version.

Playbook specialist
P

Positioning Strategist

Owns this area

Defines and tests the value proposition, differentiators, positioning, and brand architecture.

State the value in the customer's wordsFind and prove differentiatorsTest messaging with buyers
On this workflow
P

Positioning Strategist

Ranks outcomes, drafts and refines variants, summarizes customer tests, and finalizes the statement with proof points.

Rank outcomes by what customers pay forDraft distinct variants in the structured formatSummarize comprehension and resonance from customer testsUse customer phrases to improve the wordingGather specific proof points for the claim
Jeanie, your Chief of Staff Works Crew

Jeanie leads a core crew of seven that runs your company day to day. They direct the specialist and workflow agents in each playbook, including the ones on this workflow.

Connections · apps · integrations

Bring what you already run

The apps and accounts this workflow reads from and writes to. Connect them once and Works keeps them in sync.

Google DocsNotionZoom
  • Google Docs. The Positioning Strategist agent connects to Google Docs.
  • Notion. The Positioning Strategist agent connects to Notion.
  • Zoom. Define the Value Proposition uses Zoom.

These are starting points, not a limit. Connect the tools you already use.

Related workflows

4 Strategy workflows use this value proposition.

Builds on Define Ideal Customer Profile
Builds on Research Customer Needs
Builds on Profile Key Competitors
This one
Define the Value Proposition
Feeds into 4 workflows
Identify Key Differentiators
Write the Positioning Statement
Define Business Model
Set Price Positioning
Works · AI business OS

One workflow inside your whole business

In Strategy, Define the Value Proposition is part of the Competitive Positioning work.

Prebuilt playbooks, plus your own
StrategyMarketingSalesCustomer SuccessPartnershipsProducts & ServicesOperationsFinancePeopleLegal & Compliance + Build your own
The Strategy playbook
73
Workflows
19
Specialist agents
42
Workflow agents
238
Templates
You're here
Define the Value Proposition
One of 73 Strategy workflows · run by 1 workflow agent
Templates

What comes with it

Built for this workflow
DOCX
Value Proposition Canvas
A one-page form for your value proposition. It opens in Works after you sign up.
XLSX
Value Proposition Proof-Point Library
A list of your proof points and their sources. It opens in Works after you sign up.
DOCX
Value Proposition Validation Guide
A guide for testing the variants with customers. It opens in Works after you sign up.
Also included here
DOCX
Ideal Customer Profile Canvas
A one-page form for your ideal customer profile. It opens in Works after you sign up.
DOCX
Buyer Persona Canvas
A one-page form that describes one buyer. It opens in Works after you sign up.
XLSX
Needs Prioritization Matrix
A table that ranks the needs of your customers. It opens in Works after you sign up.
DOCX
Voice-of-Customer Synthesis Canvas
A one-page form that sums up what customers tell you. It opens in Works after you sign up.
DOCX
Competitor Profile Dossier
A document that describes one competitor. It opens in Works after you sign up.
XLSX
Value Quantification Model
A spreadsheet that calculates the value you deliver. It opens in Works after you sign up.

Each template opens inside Works after you sign up.

Questions

What people ask

What do you need before you start?

You need your customer needs research findings and your ideal customer profile. You also need your buyer persona documents and your competitor profiles. The competitor profiles show how you differ. Three to five examples of customer outcomes help you find proof points for the final statement.

How many customers test the variants?

Five to eight customers test the drafts. Each customer says if they understand each variant and if it matters to them. Their exact words are recorded. At least five customers must confirm that the chosen variant matters to them. The Positioning Strategist then uses their phrases to rewrite the final statement.

What is a proof point?

A proof point is a specific fact that supports the main claim of your value proposition. It can include a number, for example onboarding time reduced by 40%. Each proof point is recent. It names its source. The approved statement has three to five proof points.

Who approves the final statement?

You decide who must agree on the final statement. For example, you might ask the people who run sales and marketing to agree. When they agree, the statement becomes the one approved version. You share it with all teams, so every team works from the same words in its messaging.

Write your value proposition in your customers' words

Sign up to list the outcomes your best customers value.

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