BETTER
PRACTICES
Unique
Value Proposition
Do you know what it is about what your
organization does that makes it unique or better, and
why anybody should care about that?
If you can answer both parts of this question
then you are well on your way to defining your unique
value proposition (UVP).
Your UVP distinguishes what your
organization offers from what others offer.
Many association staff and boards are seeking
some “golden handcuff” that attracts members and
keeps them in the organization.
Unfortunately, they often focus on specific
products and services as a means to recruit and retain,
rather than value opportunities.
Defining your UVP will re-direct your attention
and focus back to the issue of value.
Your UVP is different from your mission.
The mission should define why you exist, but the
UVP defines why members and others should care that you
exist. Competitors
of your organization, or of specific programs and
services, may have similar missions, but their UVP will
be different…it is a “unique” value proposition.
By definition, it must be different!
Market research is a critical factor in
defining your UVP.
You need to know what your members value, why
they value it, and what result it achieves for them.
Asking members if they like the newsletter is not
market research…and the member response on this
question will do nothing for you in defining your UVP.
Research into where your members’
industry or profession is heading will be useful in
defining your UVP.
An analysis of your competitors will also enable
you to better define the unique aspects of what your
organization does and delivers.
If you want to create a “golden handcuff” to
attract and retain members and customers, then don’t
look to products and services…look to your members and
prospective members, and find out what they value and
why, and then define your unique value proposition and
deliver on it.
The practices
described in this area are described as Better
Practices for a very good reason. We have a great
deal of difficulty with the term best practices
used in any other context than to refer to the results
of benchmarking exercises involving real and relevant
organizations with tangible results. We offer
Better Practices related to areas where we feel that
change is needed in associations. Better Practices
are intended to provoke thought, and to encourage
organizations to think about what they are doing and how
they are doing it.
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