customer target user in the context of
customer valueproposition is a description of the experiences a target user will realize uponpurchase and use of a product. In my work in product marketing, I haven’t seenmany marketing organizations create or employ the customer value proposition.Sometimes, I have seen something called a “value proposition” used. However,those “value propositions” are usually a simple list of benefit statementsapplied to a generic audience.
The customer value proposition is arguably themost important tool in the product marketer’s toolset. It is the foundation forunderstanding how the product will realistically be valued by the target user.Unlike a benefits statement, a customer value proposition is more balanced. Itcertainly includes the advantages a target user would experience. But to thesebenefits it adds the tension of disadvantages and parity experiences. The sumof all of these experiences provides a much more accurate assessment of theproduct in its marketplace.
In the absence of customer value propositions,companies are walking blindly in the marketplace. Businesses underplay the factthat their target users have other options. They ignore that fact that theirproduct has deficiencies some of which may significantly hamper their effortsin the marketplace. Lurking behind the lack of customer value proposition isthe real issue – most businesses lack a deep understanding of their targetuser.
They don’t know how that user works and behaves. Businesses don’tperceive the challenges that user faces each day. They haven’t learned how thattarget user will actually evaluate and use their product. The result is thatbusinesses lack the true conviction of their product’s worth. This is seen inthe way they price their product, the way they message their product, and theway they sell their product. The customer value proposition is the keystone foreffective product marketing activities. It brings together customerintelligence, competitive insight, and product valuation.
It delivers aconcise, supportable statement of the product’s value. It quantifies how thatvalue is realized based on all of the target user’s likely product experiences.The customer value proposition provides a focused approach to understanding thetarget user in the context of your product. This eBook shows you how to createcustomer value propositions for each of your target users.
With these customervalue propositions in place, product marketers and managers will find it mucheasier to direct product roadmaps, write compelling messaging, build supportivesales tools, and excite the whole company. Please feel free to share this eBookwith others who would benefit from reading it by posting it on your blog,emailing it, or linking to it.
