A Value Proposition

Imagine this: you run a competitive baseball team. Two people approach you about playing on the team. One of them hands you a paper that says they can play baseball and that they are good. The other one gives you a list of specific things in your baseball team that could be improved, and then briefly explains how they personally would be able to fix those things by being on your team. They close by telling you that they would do this for free and that if they don’t fix the problem, you could let them go. No contract, so no ties to them.

Who would you choose?

What this latter person did is essentially what a value proposition is.

Especially when you are young, this is a great way to approach what you hope to be a potential employer, or just to gain some extra experience. People often think that money is the best form of payment, but I have often found that learning can be an equally rewarding currency. Though, as much as I wish it did, learning doesn’t pay the bills.

Instead of thinking about how you can best add value to your life, look to the businesses around you and see how you could add value to their lives. By having this mindset, you keep your mind fresh thinking of ideas, and if you create value for these businesses, you will find the value for yourself will be there as well.

Below is an idea of what a value proposition might look like. This is absolutely not the gold standard, nor is it a standard at all. This is simply an idea that I had for what I could do to add value to a specific business. That’s the goal. Not that you dot your I’s and cross your T’s, but that in end you created value for a business.

Hey Mike,

I bought a Ford Explorer through Kelsay Auto Sales about two and a half years ago and it has been incredible for me. It was totaled twice but has held up outstandingly and has yet to have any major issues. Being an almost twenty-year-old vehicle, I have been incredibly happy with it. I love what you all do, working together with the salvage yard and the sales lot, and I love even more that you are reasonable and honest with your customers.

Since I recently moved to the area, I want to get your name out to other people, and after looking at your website and social media, I had some ideas to draw more viewers and increase interest in the business!

Here are three specific ideas I have. I don’t want to add work for you as I know life is busy, so I would love to take these projects on myself if you’re interested.

1. Create a place for customers to share their stories on your website

My experience working with you was incredible, and I know other’s experiences have been as well. If there was a page for customers to write reviews and stories of their experience working with you, you would become incredibly attractive to first-time buyers. 

Growing up in a family that knew almost nothing about cars, I can tell you first hand how important it was for us to see others recommending a mechanic or car salesman before looking into them seriously.

2. Create a monthly email newsletter

This would serve two purposes.

First, it would give you a place to send a request for a review after a purchase is made. If you connected this to the above-mentioned review page on your website, you could practically gain a new review every time you make a sale. More reviews = higher credibility = more interest =m ore sales.

Second, since you are constantly working on vehicles and putting new ones on the lot, it would give you the opportunity to update past buyers or inform potential buyers on what you are working on or what you have recently put up for sale. People are often looking for an upgrade, but they don’t know it until there’s a deal sitting right in front of them.

3. Create a more engaging “about us” page

Mechanics and car salesman are often seen as shady and dishonest. The first two things I mentioned would be a great start to dispelling this misconception of your business, and this would be the icing on the cake.

One way to do this would be to make a two to three-minute video of you explaining why you’re here and what your mission is (something similar to the style of this video).

Even just having pictures of you, your brother and dad on the page would help customers put a friendly face to the business. People like to see the human side in a business like this.

I would love to take these projects on for you for free, and if you don’t like them, no hard feelings and no sweat off your back. If you do like them, I have several other ideas that I would love to work on with you!

I look forward to hearing from you!

Thanks,
Joey