How can you differentiate your value proposition from competitors when presenting to senior stakeholders?

1 Know your audience

Before you prepare your presentation, you need to understand who your senior stakeholders are, what their goals and challenges are, and what they care about most. You can do some research, ask questions, or use tools like stakeholder maps or personas to get a clear picture of your audience. Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, focus on the benefits that matter to them, and address their potential objections or concerns.

2 Define your unique value proposition

Your unique value proposition (UVP) is the core of your presentation. It is the statement that summarizes how your solution can solve your audience's problems, what benefits it can deliver, and how it is different from other alternatives. Your UVP should be clear, concise, and compelling. It should answer the question: why should they choose you over your competitors? To craft your UVP, you can use frameworks like the value proposition canvas or the elevator pitch formula.

4 Highlight your competitive advantage

One of the key objectives of your presentation is to highlight your competitive advantage. This is the aspect of your solution that makes it superior or unique compared to your competitors. It could be a feature, a benefit, a quality, a process, or a result. You need to emphasize your competitive advantage throughout your presentation and show how it can make a difference for your audience. You can use techniques like contrast, comparison, or differentiation to showcase your competitive advantage.

5 Anticipate and address objections

When you present your value proposition to senior stakeholders, you may face some objections or questions that challenge your solution or your credibility. These could be related to the cost, the feasibility, the timeline, the risks, or the outcomes of your solution. You need to anticipate and address these objections proactively and confidently. You can use strategies like acknowledging, reframing, or overcoming to handle objections and turn them into opportunities to reinforce your value proposition.

6 End with a clear call to action

The last part of your presentation is the most important one. It is where you ask your audience to take the next step or make a decision. You need to end with a clear call to action that tells your audience what you want them to do, why they should do it, and how they can do it. Your call to action should be specific, actionable, and urgent. It should also align with your value proposition and your competitive advantage. You can use words like "start", "join", "sign up", or "contact" to create a sense of urgency and action.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?