| Issues |
Questions |
Asides |
| Clearly state your idea of your value proposition/game plan:
- In a few simple sentences, craft a statement that communicates your value proposition for your people (your game plan).
- You want to position them to consider how they’ll do what they do to fulfill the value proposition.
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Ask yourself:- What is it that you can do through your company that you believe others will pay for?
- Can you expand your answer beyond a particular product or service?
- What does this say about who we are? What are we about?
- How will you use your company’s skills and capabilities to amplify the value that you’re seeking?
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Develop your game plan with two considerations in mind:- How is our competition operating in the market?
- What are their disadvantages?
- How can you deduce their assumptions?
- How can you execute in ways they can’t?
- How can you leverage your company’s key strengths?
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| Issues |
Questions |
Asides |
| Clearly state your idea of your value proposition/brand promise. In a few simple sentences, craft a statement that frames your value proposition for the external marketplace (your brand promise). You want to make a promise of unique value to potential customers. You may have multiple promises for different customer groups. |
Ask yourself:- What is it that you can do through your company that you believe others will pay for?
- Of what use is your offering to your customers’ purposes?
- What is the value they may attach to it, that they could attach to it?
- How will you use your company’s skills and capabilities to amplify the value that they’re seeking?
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Develop your brand promise with three considerations in mind:- What is unique about your offerings?
- How could they leverage a partnership with you to get more than they could get elsewhere?
- Include in your promise a commitment to talk with them over time.
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| Issues |
Questions |
Asides |
| Where is the fun in this for you? If you aren’t having fun, if you’re not excited about your idea, you won’t connect with others. If you share your passion and the pride in what you do, you can ignite the hearts of those who want to share that endeavor with you. |
Ask yourself:- Reflect here on your motives and the inspiration behind your idea. How can you capture this for others?
- How can you describe this goal in terms that can excite your people to give their time and energy to it?
- How can you describe this goal in terms that can excite your customers to entrust their needs or aspirations to it?
- How can you help everyone become excited about doing business with you and your idea?
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- Describe to yourself, and then to someone close to you, the worthy purpose in what you do, in what you do for others or enable them to do for themselves?
- During the fall of 1941 steel workers trooped into the mills grateful to have a job, but not particularly enamored of the work. They were only making steel, after all. Then, during World War II they were securing freedom. The work hadn’t changed, but the purpose had. Never underestimate the power of purpose to spark good people. It is energizing to do something that they feel proud to do.
- On the other hand, it won’t work if your commitment is insincere. You can’t have good effect if you are cynical or contrived. It won’t work if you pay only superficial lip service to the idea.
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