#differentiateyourself

Series Blog Post #3 - Define the Unique Value of Your Offer

Value drives a large portion of your sales page copy because you need to demonstrate that what you’re offering is what your potential buyer wants. Linking value to customer wants shows that you have the solution to their problem. In this post, you’ll get clear on the value of your offer and how you can add additional value to make it even more attractive to prospective customers. Your Unique Value Proposition You need to be clear about your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) before you start writing your sales page copy. Your UVP should express what you do and how you will solve the key problem your target market is facing. Remember your UVP is best written as a short, succinct sentence like these: LegalShield (legal advice) – Worry less. Live more. Fundly (crowdfunding) – Raise money for anything. Scribd (audiobooks) – Read without limits. Explain Your Current Offer Every offer has benefits and features that you need to explain to prospective customers. The benefits of your offer are the outcomes your customer gets which help resolve their problem. They are the reason people buy and they address your customer’s pain points. The features of your offer are the characteristics or specs of your offering. For example: If you sell cycles to Sunday cyclists, the benefit would be to get fitter while having fun with family and friends. The features would be that the cycle has 24 gears and cantilever brakes. There’s a big difference between the two. Unless you already know a lot about cycles, the number of gears and type of brakes won’t mean anything to you. Not only can features confuse the customer, they can make them feel stupid – this won’t encourage them to buy. If you are a business coach for new businesses, the key benefit to prospective clients would be to have their business up and running and making sales. The features would be a program lasting 12 months, 12 one-hour coaching sessions with you, and access to business startup videos. Always describe benefits first, since the emphasis of your page is on the solution you can offer. You still need to list the features so your customers know exactly what they’ll get from you, but you’ll do this further down the sales page when your visitor is already hooked by the solution you’re offering. If you’re unclear on the benefits of your offer, go back to your customer’s pain points and identify how your offer addresses those. Take each feature and ask yourself, “So what?” and keep asking it until you have identified all the benefits. Examples: Your new bike has 24 gears. “So what?” You won’t have to struggle going uphill. Your coaching program lasts 12 months. “So what?” You will have the time to work on your business creation at a steady pace and start to see the results within the year. Add Value to Help Conversions Once you’ve established the value of your basic offer, you need to think about ways you can add even more value. This can make the difference between a sale and a lost customer. Adding value is a way of differentiating yourself from your competitors. This is especially important if you’re operating in a crowded market. Add value to your offer and you’ll increase conversions. The good news is that you can add value quite easily and without necessarily incurring huge costs. Always budget for the cost of added value so you can adjust your price accordingly. For example, if you want to offer door-to-door delivery which your competitors don’t, you may have to pay for a courier service or employ someone to undertake the deliveries. This may be a worthwhile investment if you get more customers. Here are some examples of ways to add value:

Offer bonuses which complement your offer. Add in personal interaction to your online coaching program like a one-on-one starter session with you. Personal follow-up support service with a member of your team. 24-hour delivery. Free upgrades as they come on stream. Free demonstration videos to get the best out of the product or service. Key Takeaways: Your sales page needs to demonstrate the value of your offer. You must be clear on how the benefits of your product or service provide value by addressing the pain your customers are experiencing. Find ways to add value to stand out from your competitors. Action Steps: Quick Win: List the problems that your offer solves. Write a UVP for the sales page. Then identify your benefits by listing the features and asking yourself “So what?” Decide how you will add value to your offer. Return to MikeConkey.com for the next blog post in this series for “Create Sales Pages That Convert – Turning Visitors into Customers”