Don't shrink your value proposition

One of the ‘greatest hits’ from my ongoing Monday Messages to our Dillon team focused on value propositions. More specifically—how important it is to test or confirm our assumptions around them. Many people could possibly benefit from this lesson, so I thought I would revisit it with you – I hope you enjoy it.

What do I mean by a value proposition? One definition of value proposition from a business perspective is: "an innovation, service, or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to customers/clients."

Let me start with a not so hypothetical situation outside of the business world ... let's say at home. At home, a value proposition might be considered an innovation or action that scores you "points.” One weekend, my wife was very busy completing report cards (she's a Grade 8 teacher) and I sensed the aura of stress in the house. I figured I'd up my game on the chore front and enter into some territory perhaps not travelled enough on my part. (I was innovating.) I assumed I was improving my value proposition by taking care of the laundry. Unfortunately, although there was value created through my use of the washing machine, most of that value disappeared when I transferred certain items to the dryer...

So, how does my misguided laundry adventure translate to business? The most important takeaway is recognizing that you can't determine what your clients/customers value in isolation, nor can you assume that because one client values something, another will value the same thing. You also need to recognize that what clients/customers value may change from time to time. (for example, I created significant value by washing towels the month previously) In short, you must have regular conversations with your clients about what they value and their perspective on the services or goods you provide.

It is critical to listen to what clients or customers ask for, but also to explore and listen to understand why they are asking for it, so you can anticipate and potentially provide more value or better solutions.

At Dillon, we talk about providing value to our clients and creating remarkable client experiences. But this isn’t always easy and requires intentional thought and consideration regarding what each client will appreciate and value. When we take the time to learn a client’s mission and vision and their overall plans and objectives—with the goal of understanding how our work fits into it all—this is what truly provides value. Becoming better listeners is what makes us better consultants. Regardless of your industry, you need to put the work into listening, learning, and truly trying to understand the perspective of your client or customer. It takes time and effort, but developing solutions and products with that in mind is what makes a difference and builds strong relationships.

Listening and learning helps us anticipate what clients may actually need or want but didn't ask for, and results in a better experience for everyone.

Another key takeaway from my laundry mishap ... there are a surprising number of clothing items that need to be hung up to dry!

Sean Hanlon is CEO of?Dillon Consulting, a proudly Canadian, employee-owned professional consulting firm specializing in planning, engineering, environmental science and management.?Dillon Consulting?partners with clients to provide committed, collaborative and inventive solutions to complex, multi-faceted projects.