Value propositions are still a major source of confusion and frustration for marketers, as our most recent web clinic reaffirmed.

While the clinic focused on three problem areas (identifying, expressing, and testing/measuring value propositions), 32% of the 487 marketers in our live poll chose "all of the above" as their biggest challenge. That "all of the above" was the leading answer is telling. Many marketers still aren't sure just what a value proposition is, much less how to craft a powerful one.

The clinic presented examples and a Value Proposition Worksheet (PDF) and is now available online in three formats for your convenience:

• View the complete presentation (slides and audio)
  
• Read the print-friendly research brief with additional links
  
• Listen to the audio-only version

Value propositions vs. branding taglines

To further clarify what's not a value proposition, here's my response to a question from one of our clinic participants regarding the www.JewelryDays.com website, and its tagline ...

The statement "My Life Is Beautiful" makes a catchy tagline, but it's not what we consider a true value proposition. Why not? Because it doesn't answer this question: "If I'm your ideal prospect, why should I buy from you instead of anyone else?" Answer that with "My life is beautiful" and you'll clearly see the disconnect.

I've taken a look at your About Us page, and though I'm not an expert on your market, I'd suggest that your strongest value proposition can be found within this idea:
"[Our] innovative diamond search technology evaluates the cost, size and quality of the diamond to help consumers make informed and customized purchase decisions. Consumers can graphically see the tradeoffs required when weighing each of these factors, and speak to or e-mail professional graduate gemologists with their questions."

I would argue that buying diamonds hinges mainly on quality and trusting the seller; both are especially challenging for websites vs. brick-and-mortar stores because there's not a real face-to-face person, you can't touch and examine the diamonds before you buy, and returns are a greater concern due to shipping. Largest selection means more to wholesalers than an individual who only wants one or two pieces. Lowest prices has appeal, but can also raise anxiety with regard to luxury items such as diamonds, as it naturally conflicts with the desire for quality; skeptical consumers know that the highest quality and the lowest prices don't go together.

So, what could really set your site/company apart is not the selection or prices, but offering a search that truly helps buyers make informed, customized decisions by weighing the tradeoffs. Again, I don't know how many other sites offer something similar, but if your search technology really is superior -- and is the one area where you excel over competitors -- your site needs to express that much more clearly on the homepage.

Right now, that impressive search function is barely even visible on the homepage, much less promoted as your unique advantage over other diamond jewelry sites.

Take another look at the Down & Feather Company example from the clinic, and see how the redesigned site showcases the company's "Perfect Pillow Policy" value proposition. Try to crystallize your innovative search and helpful buying process into concise, powerful language -- and apply it to your site in ways that will drive prospects to use your site. That will be much stronger than the "beautiful" tagline.

We hope you're planning to join us for today's free web clinic: Powerful Value Propositions: How to optimize this critical marketing element - and lift your results.

We've crammed in a lot of information and guidance, but there's much more than one hour will allow.

So here's a roundup of our blog posts and research briefs on this topic, plus our value proposition worksheet:

• MarketingExperiments Value Proposition Worksheet (PDF, 60k)
• All about value propositions - A five-part series
• Value proposition showdown: Your company vs. your product or service
• When did you last conduct a competitive analysis?
• In Search of a Value Proposition

You'll find relevant examples and ideas throughout the resources above, and we'll also compile them into the research brief that will be drawn from today's free clinic.

To be notified when today's presentation and research brief are available online, sign up for the free MarketingExperiments Journal.

P.S. We've received dozens of entries from web clinic registrants for our value proposition contest. We're still evaluating them (and they're still coming in), so we will announce the winner soon.

In the years that I've been writing about sales and marketing, Brian Carroll has been one of the sources I trust the most, hands-down.

He understands both sides in a way that many self-styled gurus don't. He knows what does and doesn't work in real-world situations, and he offers practical advice, not fluff. Best of all, Brian isn't afraid to challenge conventional marketing or sales wisdom.

So having the opportunity to work with him to produce our special guest clinic on lead generation was not only educational, but a lot of fun. The feedback from clinic participants suggests that Brian and Flint delivered plenty of valuable insights that hit the mark with our audience (both B2B and B2C).

You can now access "A Proven 'Playbook' For Growing Your Leads" in three formats:

• Complete version (slides and audio in Flash player)
• Research brief (print-friendly HTML)
• Audio version (MP3)

You'll notice that this clinic is somewhat different than our usual MarketingExperiments web clinics. As Flint mentions in the clinic, these strategies don't revolve around making your contact form or call to action stronger; this playbook is about what happens after prospects hit the "submit" button, and how marketing and sales teams can work together more effectively to expand their customer base and get the most revenue per lead.

As Brian explores the five steps that make up his lead generation playbook, he also shows how applying those steps helped a partner company achieve gains of up to 375% in a matter of months -- without a significant budget increase.

Ready to be a marketing hero?

Absorb this clinic and the playbook, then apply Brian's five steps to your own lead generation and nurturing process. Then send us a photo of the view from your new corner office ...