Selling Proposition Chart
A Selling Proposition Chart is a simple step chart designed to accurately define a value proposition for a product or service. Selling proposition charts walk readers through the process of value proposition definition by asking four questions:
- Who defines the general market for the product?
- What is the market's "need" for products and services in the target product's domain?
- What are the problems with existing solutions for this need?
- How does the target product solve these problems?
Typical Uses
A selling proposition chart is typically used as a market research tool for determining how to properly differentiate a product or a service within a market such that its selling proposition is unique.
Best Practices
- Describe your market. If you had to summarize your target market in a few words, what would those words be? Put that answer into the first box.
- Determine your market's need. Why would someone need your product? Put your answer to that question into the second box.
- Understand your market's pain. There are a number of existing solutions that attempt to fill your market's need, but what are the problems with those solutions? What pain do those solutions cause for the customers in your target market? Put the answer to that question into the third box.
- Relieve the pain. In the fourth box, explain how your product fulfills the market's need without the pain caused by the other solutions that attempt to fulfill the same need.
- Review the diagram. Review the diagram to make sure that the answers to the four questions posed by the Selling Proposition Chart are all consistent with each other.
- Produce a written value proposition. Once you've verified that all of your answers are consistent with each other, use your "solution box" to produce a short, written value proposition that you can easily communicate.
- Example: "SmartDraw lets Microsoft Office™ users draw business graphics easily and quickly through automated drawing."
