What are the best ways to use the value proposition canvas to create a more compelling offer?

Very often, audience research is done "for show." But it is important to remember that you are not doing this to show your colleagues a beautiful document, but to make your business work. I really like the concept of communicating with potential consumers through indirect questions - you don't ask if they would like to spend less time, for example, filling out reports, but you ask what they hate about their work and what they would like to change. And only if they themselves say that they are tired of sitting up until midnight working on reports, do you move on.

As many people would say, what problem are you trying to solve? Then, is that problem big enough that a solution is needed and thirdly, is this a generic problem for all? Now all these questions can be answered only if one understands the customer. Thus, any value proposition starts with what is that one intends to offer. Customer experience, problems faced, many power required, cost associated for any work around etc needs to be known. Hence, step one, is always understanding the customer

Here's a little tip: In my experience, successful products and startups offer one of two things: either an innovative solution to a previously unsolvable problem, or a more convenient/faster/cheaper way to do what consumers do with other solutions. The first option is more complex and intellectually demanding. The second is simpler and more obvious, but it is important to understand that other market players can quickly adapt and take over the initiative. Even if you start with a "same but better" strategy, while you have a head start, it makes sense to think through and implement an innovative component.

Once a value proposition has been identified, the next step is to define the offer. Typically how would one place the product in the market and how the customers would be able to avail the service of the same. Also what are the points of service which your customer will experience and will come back again & also promote you to others. Now this varies from FMCG product to a long term product like Car or services like repair or car washing. Hence defining your Unique selling proposition (USP) is very important.

Get to know your customer. What keeps them up at night? What are they dying to achieve? Make sure those are your top priorities, not some side features that seem kinda cool. Can you clearly see how your solution zaps those major pains or delivers those big goals? If not, it's back to the drawing board. Know your competition. What else is out there that could tempt your customer away? Then figure out what makes you special? Maybe it's a killer feature, maybe it's your focus on awesome customer service – whatever it is, own it! Finally , get proof. Happy customer stories, successful projects, even numbers showing your improvement – these all help tell the story.

When a startup was founded, it had a clear vision of solving a problem for a certain group of people. Hence the problem & the customer segment has been identified. Now the solution too has been created via ideation. The best way forward is to evaluate the use of the product for that customer segment and how the problem shall be solved. If there are any prototypes, then one should experiment by giving the product and evaluate the fitment of the product. It should test against any other product in the market to see the usability, ease of use and extent to which the problem is being solved and the benefits.

Again, this communication should not be "for show." Even if it doesn't seem like it, it's important to have a story behind the business from the very beginning. I've seen many good startups with "fragmented" narratives, and sooner or later everyone tries to come up with a whole concept. Ideally, you should immediately assemble a team that will build this concept with you - from text messages to visuals and tone of voice.

The Unique selling propositions need to communicated effectively. For e.g. Japanese product = Good quality, Apple products = Security & quality, Thereby every brand has somewhere messaged this very clearly to make their products represent those values. Hence in all the communications, the value of the proposition needs to be clearly indicated and then the product should reflect the same.