Developing Your Value Proposition

Course Learning Objectives:

• “Define your value proposition and go to market strategy.”

Hire Heroes USA

100 North Point Center East, Suite 200

Alpharetta, GA 30022

1-800-915-HERO. www.hireheroesusa.org

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What is a value proposition?

• A short descriptive paragraph about yourself that contains no more than 5 main value messages, each with some example of a metric ($, %, #, certificate, award, degree)

• This “menu” of value about yourself can be a general statement and / or customized for specific opportunities or events.

• This is your career brand – The answer to “tell me about yourself”.

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A compelling career brand can

• Make you more confident, and professional and HELP YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF AND ALL THAT YOU ARE!

• Control what interviewers remember most about you -HELP YOU TAKE MINDSHARE –

• Lower the barriers to hiring by creating trust and conveying value

• Differentiate you from the competition

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How to Develop Your Brand

• List all your skills…….EVERYTHING

• List of all your Knowledge areas

• List of all your degrees, certifications, awards, honors

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DEFINING THE SKILL LIST

How do you know you are good at the skill you listed? You need an example and it needs to be measurable so people can understand it better!

Ask yourself…..

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Keep asking yourself:

• WHAT ARE THE SIZE OF COMPANIES I WORKED FOR OR MILITARY GROUPS I SERVED WITH OR LED?

• WHAT HAVE I MANAGED OR SUPERVISED or PLANNED, EXECUTED OR IMPLEMENTED?

PEOPLE, PROJECTS, EVENTS, ACCOUNTS, BUDGETS, SERVICE, KEY RELATIONSHIPS, IMPLEMENTATIONS, STRATEGIC PLANNING, FIRETEAM, SQUAD, PLATOON, COMPANY, etc.

• CO-CREATED, CO-MANAGED, CO-PLANNED?

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NOW, QUANTIFY THE EXAMPLES:

• WHAT IS MY QUANTIFIABLE EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT THE SKILL? How do I know I am good at this?

• IS THERE AN OUTCOME OR A DIFFERENCE THAT CAN BE MEASURED?

• Did I make or save any money?• Was there a percentage of difference from before?• Did I get things done faster? By how much?• How many people were involved?• What was the budget number?• How many people have I trained?• What technology do I know?• What languages do I speak?

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ORGANIZE YOUR LIST

• EACH ITEM ON YOUR LIST MAY HAVE MULTIPLE QUANITFIABLE EXAMPLES

• You need to decide what skills, value and knowledge to lead with – categorize!

• No more than 5 main message points

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CATEGORIZING THE SKILL LISTYou will have too many for the listener!

EXAMPLE: MANAGEMENT

LOGISTICS

STRATEGIC PLANNING

TEACHING / TRAINING

OPERATIONS

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DEVELOPING YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION

1. Using your lists and 5 main messages

2. KNOWLEDGE AREAS AND DEGREES, CERTIFICATIONS, AWARD

3. You write and brief value proposition with no more than 5 value messages to take to market.

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HERE IS AN EXAMPLE

• My value really consists of these things: Management (prepared examples)

Training ( prepared examples)

Technology (prepared examples)

Strategic / Tactical Planning (examples)

Logistics (prepared examples)

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Value Proposition Example Continued

• A couple of things I’m most proud of are:_________ and ________

• I was awarded or graduated from or earned a certificate or degree in…..

Make your examples relevant to the opportunity – as you will have many and not all of them will be relevant

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CAN I USE ATTRIBUTES?

YES – BUT THEY ARE NOT COMPETITIVE UNLESS YOU SUPPORT THEM WITH SOMETHING MEASURABLE!

• GOOD LEADER - Ok? What did you lead, how many?

• GOOD COMMUNICATOR – OK? WE ALL SAY THAT –WHAT IS YOUR EXAMPLE? WERE YOU THE PRESIDENT OF TOASTMASTER’S? DID YOU WIN AN AWARD FOR COMMUNICATION? DID YOU COMMUNICATE AND EXECUTE A CRITICAL MISSION?

• TEAM PERSON – HOW DO YOU KNOW, DID YOU GET FEEDBACK AND IF SO, FROM HOW MANY ON A TEAM? HOW MANY TEAMS HAVE YOU BEEN ON, AND FOR WHAT?

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YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION

• MAKES YOUR MORE CONFIDENT

• HELPS YOU INTERVIEW BETTER

• GIVES YOU A MENU TO CHOOSE THE APPROPRIATE VALUE EXAMPLE▫ IT’S CUSTOMIZABLE

▫ CAN BE ADDED TO

▫ MAKES RESPONDING TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES EASIER

▫ HELPS YOU DEVELOP YOUR RESUME

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USING YOUR VALUE PROPOSITION

• RESUME SUMMARY

• COVER LETTERS

• NETWORKING

• INTERVIEWING

• BUSINESS CARD

• DETERMINING YOUR “GO TO MARKET STRATEGY”

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