Whether you are an entrepreneur, business professional, or someone looking for a new job, being able to clearly articulate your personal brand's value proposition will help place you top of mind, compelling your audience to want to do business with you over your competition, and ultimately achieve your goals.

What is your personal brand's value proposition?

A brand's value proposition is the promise of value delivered to its audience. While this branding element is typically focused on corporate brands and products, you don't need to be a Fortune 500 company to apply these same principles to your personal brand - especially when you convey your value proposition in terms of the emotional benefits to your audience.

The Three Value Propositions

Product Leadership aka "The Innovator"

A person who exemplifies this type of method is all about delivering better products or services and is typically focused on new technologies and techniques. Think Apple. They are often at the forefront of their industries and considered to be thought leaders. Their products and services are typically at a higher price point than their competitors, but due to the superiority of what they offer, their clients are happy to pay the premium.

The Innovator's personality traits are based on being unique. Words to best describe their brand essence (and what should be conveyed through their marketing messages) could include: elite, trendy, influential, creative, innovative, cool, coveted, rare, authoritative, and essential.

Operational Excellence aka "The Commoditizer"

This is a person who embodies the spirit of WalMart. They deliver value by offering their products or services at a lower price and mainly compete on cost. They look for ways to streamline and systematize their expertise, and pass along the savings to their clients.

The Commoditizer is all about competition. Words to best describe their brand essence include: competitive, aggressive, ease, prevailing, smart, fast, broad, and unswerving.

Customer Intimacy aka "The Wowzer"

This person is focused on creating an extraordinary relationship with their customers and focuses their value position on solving client problems through a variety of products/services or special, customized programs. Customers come to them because they can expect a 'wow' experience that the competitors do not. Disney is a company that prides itself on delivering a magical, fun experience to their customers from their theme parks and destination resorts to their movies and stores.

The Wowzer loves to please and words to describe their brand may include: supportive, approachable, warm, caring, concerned, resourceful, loyal, and interested.

Applying Your Value Proposition to Your Brands Strategy

When selecting your value proposition it may be tempting to say that you successfully do all three but not only is that nearly impossible, it would benefit you to not to be all things to all people. To position yourself that way would dilute your brand message and confuse your audience. Instead, focus on one key value proposition to incorporate into all of your branding, key messages, and personality themes. Once that message is clearly communicated, you can then bring in a secondary, lesser value proposition to promote in your brand theme, if necessary.

Keep the conversation flowing what is your personal brands value proposition? Do you think someone can really deliver on all three without diluting their brands message?

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