Maximize Business & Marketing ROI: "Proof of Value" Statements

Clear messaging backed by tangible evidence is not an imaginary pot of gold at the end of an ethereal rainbow. It’s a well-written and deeply informed 1-paragraph short story. It is your "Proof of Value" statement.

There’s just so much marketing jargon in the world today… Positioning. Value Add. Features. Lead Gen. Demand Gen. Workflow. Analytics. Insights. Messaging. Social Proof. Where is wrangling all of these concepts getting you?

Here’s a new, simple approach for all you marketers, product managers, or business leaders: research, contribute to, and define a solid “Proof of Value” statement. For prospects, it is an immediate evaluation that answers, "why would I be most interested engaging your business and why should I trust you?" For marketing teams, achieving quality results means setting up best practices for strategy, metrics, and communication throughout the organization. This process establishes a new foundation for every business brand and individual offering – and the result is pretty darn useful, too.

For prospects, the Proof of Value answers: why would I be most interested engaging your business and why should I trust you? For marketing teams, getting to a quality result means setting up best practices for strategy, metrics, and communication.

Get Moving: It matters more than ever.

The highest achievement of marketing is the authentic narrative of your value proposition, clearly communicated and beautifully demonstrated. Here are a few drivers that make adopting a Proof of Value framework vital in the race against your competition:

• Data-Driven Story-telling. There is an ever-increasing prominence of story-telling based on empirical evidence, in both narrative and visual forms. Your Proof of Value tells an entire story in just a few words.
• Influencers & Reviews. There’s more and more emphasis on influencers and community reviews/forums, which are achieving the same conclusions…without your direct control.
• Increasing Speed of Business. Every business department is working at a breakneck pace to meet expectations and deliver on their responsibilities – without a standardized process and concrete goal, teams could fall short on communicating key information.
• Empathy. Proof of Value is the mark of true empathy with your target market, users, and decision-makers. (And yes, the common POV abbreviation between Proof of Value and Point of View is intentional!)

What does it all mean? Let's break it down.

Baseline marketing for any team contains some “proof” and some “value.” It takes a village to bring both together in a meaningful way, but most marketers have access to at least one or the other.

Wait, what do you mean by “Proof”?

Glad you asked. Check out some examples of proof regularly used by businesses.

These "authoritative" elements aren't enough alone. Surely, they can catch an eye, but don't clearly convey why they matter - and why someone should care - when left without context.

Okay, now can you clarify “Value” for me?

Great question. Now, check out some examples of value that are used by businesses.

These are also not enough alone. They may sound great and emotionally or intellectually engage a prospect, but don't demonstrate why they should believe you or what you've done do make it more than a pitch. Per the beloved George R.R. Martin: Words are wind.

So what can you achieve when adding the measly word "of" and tying it all together?

Don't Worry: It's pretty easy to get started (you may have already).

Communicating “proof of value” is already commonly in play at granular levels.

Example 1. Case Studies and Project Pages

Great case studies already show, not just tell. When done well, they not only communicate the long term impact (why) of your business for the client, but the technical process and key data to prove it (how).

Architects and design agencies are highly skilled at this. See how the marketing team at KSS Architects illustrated their mission for "meaningful change" in two of their projects: Rutgers Hahne & Co. Adaptive Reuse and University of Pennsylvania's Pennovation Center.

Example 2. Internal Research Reports

Research and insights gained from internal data – often in the form of research reports, white papers, and educational resources – are also great examples of proof-meets-value. However, complex publications are intensive (often reserved for very well-established enterprises) and only reach a smaller segment of the most loyal followers or interested prospects.

Consulting and tech companies leverage their access to a ton of user data – and translate it into consequential findings that can advance an industry. Check out how Wombat Security Technologies’ "Fourth State of the Phish™ Report" takes surveys and program data to demonstrate the importance of cyber training and the efficacy of their services.

The real challenge is scaling that up to a higher level – managing a detailed process without losing the 30,000 foot vision.

Trials & Tribulations: Why is it so hard to achieve?

All of this might seem obvious and you might be wondering, "Why doesn’t everyone already do this?" Crafting a compelling Proof of Value statement marks the mastering of a complex, multi-faceted workflow with a truly integrated marketing team. This means assembling and empowering an A-team that is not only deeply skilled in marketing, but also boasts strong relationship management of key internal and external stakeholders.

Here’s just a glance of what it might take to do this the right way in your organization:

Crafting a compelling Proof of Value statement marks the mastering of a complex, multi-faceted workflow with a truly integrated marketing team.

Show Me: What does this look like done well?

Let’s look at a few effective Proofs of Value.

Enter at the top of a website landing page for a car: “Get your blood pumping. With 295@6600 horsepower and a 3.5 liter engine, it’s no wonder that the Baik 2019 Blazeway was named Kelly Blue Book’s Best Buy and the premier choice for Spartan Race Champions, rugged road-trippers, and audacious adventurers everywhere. Leave boring behind.”

How about a purchase page for a nightlight? “As Amazon’s #1 Best Seller for Kids two years in a row, join 2.8 million homes nationwide to delight your loved ones and bring a sense of security into your cozy little corner of the world.”

And for a B2B logistics software? “Gain market share without losing sleep. 6,280 aerospace facilities reveal where the JG Warehouse Management System will take you: 100% visibility, 234% increase in order fulfillment, 28% faster fulfillment times, and 23% capacity growth year over year. Take true control of your warehouse.”

Note: the above samples contain concrete proof (percentages, awards, rankings, client base, product features) as well as value (business growth, well-being and safety, life fulfillment). Making dated claims of stating "best in class for every business," "top leader," or simply listing out 12 high-profile customers lacks the power of persuasion. Nevertheless, don't abandon those starting tidbits. Expand upon them with thoughtful questions and they just might become key ingredients for your final statement.

The Takeaway: Your Proof of Value is reasonable and within reach.

After you have created your Proof of Value statement, it doesn’t need to show up on your web page, sell sheet, or radio spot at all. Creative can use it as inspiration for stranger, more dynamic, or funnier methods of reaching your audience. Look at cybersecurity company Expel's About Us page, where they describe how their customers think about the company - all in one sentence and five numbers. And alternatively, on Expel's What We Do page, they describe what their specific offering (managed security) does for their customers. I bet there’s a lot of other insightful discoveries that didn’t make the #1 cut and is now re-purposed for blogs, ads, and other marketing opportunities.

By memorializing a succinct Proof of Value statement, you enable great and consistent campaign ideation, future messaging, case study context, marketing goals, and more that ultimately shorten your sales cycle and enhance your lead generation efforts. 

A Winning Goal for the Year? Build and reinforce 3-5 steps in the Proof of Value workflow to gather and analyze data, position products, track achievements, and measure efficacy. Tell that story on a grander level with fewer words.

Already Rocking the Proof of Value Process? Re-evaluate and refresh it every year or get more specific: build different statements for various stages of the sales cycle and segments of your market. Most importantly, teach someone how you do it and solicit improvements. It's an iterative process.

As business leaders and marketers, framing your entire marketing process around establishing a robust “Proof of Value” statement means finding ways to engage potential clients that already suffer from your identified pain points and seek the value generated by your solutions. It’s a long-term method to produce a stronger, vision-driven team. Clear messaging backed by tangible evidence is not an imaginary pot of gold at the end of an ethereal rainbow: it’s a well-written and deeply informed 1-paragraph short story.

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Grace is a tenacious marketer with absolutely no formal education in capital "M" Marketing. With an academic foundation in art history and neuropsychology, corporate experience in architecture, engineering, and technology, and a personal fondness towards watercolor and board games, she draws from a complex multi-disciplinary background to inform and achieve. She is process-impassioned, relationship-driven, and endlessly inspired by her work (sometimes too much). To Grace, impactful marketing is the authentic narrative of your value proposition, clearly communicated and beautifully demonstrated.