Your value proposition is not marketing

"What's your value proposition?" I asked the sales team at a tech scaleup. And they all pointed to the same slide in their presentation.

You won't get away with that with me.

"And how do you use that in your sales conversations?"

Silence. Confusion. Shuffling feet.

Here's the problem: most companies see their value proposition as a statement, not as the DNA of their sales process.

A working value proposition isn't just marketing copy. It's the essence of why customers choose you, translated into every stage of your sales journey.

In your prospecting:

→ Your initial messages directly address the question of your target group that you are answering

→ You use language that resonates with the target audience, not your product team

→ Your prospect wants to immediately recognize themselves in the question you pose, which generates interest in “what you bring, not what you do.”

In your proposal and negotiation:

→ You only demonstrate features that directly contribute to the identified value

→ You explain price as an investment in the value you deliver

The truth? Most failed sales processes fail because the value proposition fades as the conversation progresses. Technical details, pricing discussions, and process-related issues take over.

Too bad.

If your value proposition is central to your sales conversations, your conversations will be so much more valuable because you always work backwards from the customer's question to what you offer.