The short answer
A value proposition generator helps you state why a specific customer should choose you: who it's for, the problem you solve, the outcome and how you differ from the alternative. Common formulas include Geoffrey Moore's 'For [who] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [difference]' and the Value Proposition Canvas. Strong ones get more specific by segment and by account.
On this page
- Value Proposition Formulas Compared
- The For/Who/Unlike Value Proposition Template
- Using the Value Proposition Canvas
- Per-Segment Value Propositions
- Per-Account Value Propositions
- Testing a Value Proposition Before You Scale It
- Generating Value Propositions for Every Account
- Fill your value propositions from your website in three steps
- FAQ
Key takeaways
Specific beats broad: 'We help companies grow' fits everyone and persuades no one. Name the customer, the problem and a concrete outcome.
Name the alternative: Your value only makes sense next to what buyers do today. Say what you beat, including doing nothing.
Segment, then account: One core value proposition, adapted per segment, then sharpened per account with a fact about that company.
Test before you scale: Try angles in outreach and listen on calls. Buyers' replies tell you which value proposition is real.
Value Proposition Formulas Compared
Every value proposition formula forces the same discipline: name a customer, a problem, an outcome and a reason to pick you. They differ in how much they push you on differentiation and where you'll use the result.
| Formula | Template | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positioning statement (Geoffrey Moore) | For [who] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [difference]. | Team alignment, crowded categories | Stiff if said out loud |
| XYZ | We help [who] [do what] by [how]. | Websites, intros, bios | Can skip differentiation |
| Value Proposition Canvas (Strategyzer) | Customer jobs, pains and gains, mapped to your pain relievers and gain creators | Finding the value in the first place | A worksheet, not a sentence |
| Before and after | Before: [pain]. After: [outcome]. | Decks, one-pagers, emails | Needs proof to be believed |
Use them in sequence. The canvas helps you find the value. The positioning statement pins it down internally. The XYZ and before-and-after versions are what buyers actually hear.
The For/Who/Unlike Value Proposition Template
Geoffrey Moore's positioning statement, from Crossing the Chasm, is the most useful formula for B2B teams because it forces you to name the alternative. Fill in every blank; the blanks you struggle with are your positioning gaps.
For [target customer]
who [need or trigger],
[product] is a [category]
that [key benefit, as an outcome].
Unlike [primary alternative, including the status quo],
we [primary, provable difference].
Filled in for Northwind, a fictional quoting tool:
For pricing teams at growing freight brokers
who lose spot loads because quotes take hours,
Northwind is a quoting tool
that gets accurate quotes out in minutes.
Unlike spreadsheets and rate lookup tools,
we draft the quote from live rates, not just show prices.
- Make "who" narrow. "Freight brokers" is a market. "Pricing teams at growing brokers" is a buyer.
- Make the need a trigger. "Who lose loads because quotes take hours" tells you when they're ready to buy.
- State the benefit as an outcome. "Quotes in minutes", not "AI-powered".
- Include the status quo. Your real competitor is often a spreadsheet and a busy team.
- Make the difference provable. If a buyer asks "show me", you should be able to.
Using the Value Proposition Canvas
The Value Proposition Canvas, from Strategyzer, is where you find a value proposition rather than polish one. It maps what the customer is trying to do against what you offer.
- List customer jobs. What is the buyer trying to get done? "Quote spot loads fast and profitably."
- List pains. What gets in the way or costs them? "Rates in three places, manual quote emails, lost loads."
- List gains. What would delight them? "Quote while the shipper's on the phone."
- Map your pain relievers and gain creators. Which features address which pains and gains?
- Pick the fit. The strongest value proposition sits where a painful job meets something you do clearly better.
Fill it from evidence, not opinions. Customer interviews, call recordings and public reviews beat a whiteboard session. Our buyer persona generator guide covers how to gather it.
Per-Segment Value Propositions
One core value proposition rarely lands equally across segments. Keep the product claims fixed and change which pain you lead with.
| Segment | Lead pain | Value proposition |
|---|---|---|
| Small brokers | The owner quotes everything | "Quote in minutes without hiring an analyst" |
| Mid-size brokers | Analysts stretched by growth | "Add lanes without adding quoting headcount" |
| Large logistics providers | Inconsistent pricing across desks | "One rate source and one quoting standard on every desk" |
Define segments by pain, not just size. Two companies the same size can need different value propositions. Start from your ideal customer profile and split where the lead pain changes.
Per-Account Value Propositions
A per-account value proposition is your segment version plus one true fact about the company. It's the line that opens a pitch, an email or the first slide of a deck.
[Account] is [specific fact, e.g. expanding into Dallas].
That usually means [the segment's lead pain].
For teams like yours, [product] [outcome],
unlike [their likely current fix].
Halden Freight is adding lanes out of Dallas and hiring analysts.
That usually means spot quotes start taking hours.
For teams like yours, Northwind gets quotes out in minutes,
without adding more people to the quote desk.
Change the context, never the claims. The account fact and the emphasis change per prospect. What your product does, and the proof behind it, stay the same. The elevator pitch generator guide shows how to turn this into a spoken opener.
Testing a Value Proposition Before You Scale It
A value proposition is a hypothesis until buyers react to it. Test it in the cheapest places first, before it goes on your website or in your deck.
- Outreach angles. Send two or three angles to similar accounts and compare replies. Small samples are noisy, so look for clear differences and read what people actually wrote back.
- Call language. Do prospects repeat your words back, or translate them into their own? Adopt their version.
- The "prove it" test. Say it to a skeptical colleague. Every claim they challenge needs proof or a rewrite.
- Win/loss conversations. Ask recent buyers why they chose you. If their answer doesn't match your value proposition, theirs is the real one.
- The five-second read. Show your headline to someone in your target role for five seconds, then ask what you do and who it's for. If they can't say, it's not clear yet.
Retest when the market moves. A new competitor, a pricing change or a shift in what buyers worry about can make last year's value proposition irrelevant. Revisit it at least twice a year, using fresh call notes rather than memory.
Generating Value Propositions for Every Account
A value proposition only earns money when it shows up, sharpened for the account, in every email, call and deck. That's where most teams lose it: the positioning doc says one thing and each rep improvises the rest. Our B2B sales pitch guide shows how to adapt it for each role on a buying committee.
Keep the master version in one place. In Edithly, your playbook holds the value propositions and differentiators, filled from your website when you add your product and editable by your team. Each material you generate for a prospect, from an elevator pitch to a deck, adapts those value propositions to that company.
See how it works on the Edithly elevator pitch generator page, or read how the same inputs drive a sales pitch generator.
How Edithly does it
Fill your value propositions from your website in three steps
When you add your product, Edithly reads your website and fills your playbook with value propositions, differentiators, target industries and proof points. Every material you generate afterward adapts them to the prospect.
- 1
Click Add product
Enter the Product name and Site name / URL. Edithly reads your website in the background and fills your playbook.
- 2
Review your playbook's positioning
Open Details to check and edit the value propositions, differentiators, who it's for and the proof points it found.
- 3
Generate a material per prospect
Pick a tile on Home, such as Elevator Pitch or One Pager, enter a prospect's company and website, and generate. The angle adapts to that company.
Site name / URL
Ready
- Pitch
- Who it's for
- Value propositions
- Proof points
- Brand colors
- By hand
- A day or two to draft and agree the core value proposition, plus 15 to 20 minutes per account to tailor it
- With Edithly
- A few minutes to review your playbook, then a couple of minutes per account
Frequently asked questions
What is a value proposition?
A value proposition is a clear statement of why a specific customer should buy from you instead of an alternative. It names who it's for, the problem or job it addresses, the outcome they get and what makes you different. It isn't a tagline or a mission statement: it should be specific enough that a buyer could disagree with it.
What is the value proposition formula?
Two common ones are Geoffrey Moore's positioning statement, 'For [target customer] who [need], [product] is a [category] that [key benefit]. Unlike [alternative], we [differentiator]', and the simpler 'We help [who] [do what] by [how]'. The Value Proposition Canvas is a worksheet rather than a sentence: it maps customer jobs, pains and gains to your offer.
How do you write a value proposition for B2B?
Start with one segment and one buyer role. List the job they're trying to do, the pains in the way and the gains they want. Pick the pain you relieve best, state the outcome in their terms and name the alternative you beat. Then test it in outreach and on calls before putting it on your website.
Can AI generate a value proposition?
AI can draft value propositions quickly from your website, customer interviews or notes, and suggest variants by segment. It can't know which one is true for your customers. Use AI for drafts and variants, then validate them against what buyers say on calls and which outreach angles get replies.
Does Edithly generate value propositions?
Yes, as part of product setup. Add your product and website, and Edithly fills your playbook with value propositions, differentiators, target industries and proof points, all editable. It isn't a standalone positioning workshop, but every pitch, deck or email it generates adapts those value propositions to the prospect's situation.