©2011 Hight Performance GroupIt’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value!1 It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! Presented by

©2011 Hight Performance Group It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! 1

It’s Not About the Proposition,

It’s About the Value!

Presented by Cathi Hight

©2011 Hight Performance Group It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! 2©2011 Hight Performance Group It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! 2

• President of Hight Performance Group• The nation’s member retention specialist• National instructor for the U.S. Chamber’s

Institute for Organization Management• Previously was the Vice President of Operations

for the Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii• Served on the Boulder Chamber of Commerce

board and is the Member Council Chair, (focused on building a sustainable membership base)

• Is President-Elect for the Boulder Area Human Resources Association (BAHRA)

• Is a member of the:– Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)– American Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE)– American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).

Cathi Hight, The Retention Specialist


Session Objectives

• Identify the role of value propositions• Discover the “So What?” factor and how to communicate

what really matters• Explore how to turn features into benefits prospects want

to buy• Turn ROI into VOI benefits to communicate the value of

Chamber membership• Employ 3 Strategies to Move from ROI to VOI


The Role of Value Propositions

• What’s a “value proposition” for Chambers?

A clear and succinct statement on the benefits of membership.

• Two types of value propositions

General: Targeted for large audience (one size fits all) Unique: Targeted for specific group/person (benefits

are specific to a group/person’s interests/needs.)


Characteristics of Strong Value Propositions

• It must differentiate you from others

• It may match a competitor on some benefits but not all

• You must be exceptional in at least one benefit


The “So What?” Factor

• Key Takeaways– We have fallen into the trap of

selling what we think is important

– We sell features and not benefits that really matter

– We use our language and not our customers’ or prospects’

– We don’t answer the “So What?” question and people stop listening


What You Need to Know About Communication

• People don’t care about you until they know you can benefit them

• People use selective listening due to over-stimuli, lack of perceived relevance and distractions

• Many times, ineffective communication starts with the sender


“So What?” is All About Benefits, Not Features

Chamber Features We hold a Meet the Legislators forum

each fall. We offer 4 different networking events a

month. Our Business After Hours mixer alone draws over 150 people each month!

Members receive one Ribbon Cutting ceremony each year.

We hold a Business Expo each spring to promote our members.

Chamber members have the opportunity to involve themselves and their employees on a wide range of committees

So What? Benefits Our Meet the Legislators forum each fall allows

you to get face-to-face with your representative, share how issues directly impact your business.

With 4 different networking events each month, you have access to over 400 prospects for free or low cost to market what you offer!

You get a Ribbon Cutting ceremony to celebrate your business and we create publicity, photo opportunities and traffic to your location free of charge.

Our spring Business Expo attracts 4,000 prospects to your booth.

With over 20 different committees you and your staff can get involved in issues that matter to you.


General Value Propositions

• Are intended to serve a broad audience

• Are core benefits of the Chamber

• All members would value the benefits

• State the General Value1. What are the 3 key or

primary issues business members face?

2. What are the 3 things the Chamber does to address these issues?

3. Communicate the issue and value the Chamber offers


Partner Activity:Create a General Value

Proposition

Express it using this format:1. Do you know how

businesses . . .?

2. The Chamber . . .

Do you know how frustrating it is when decision makers create laws that raise the cost of doing business in Boulder?

The Chamber monitors actions presented to city council and weighs in on issues that impact our members to create an environment for business growth.

State the General Value1. What are the 3 key or

primary issues business members face?

2. What are the 3 things the Chamber does to address these issues?

3. Communicate the issue and value the Chamber offers


Move from ROI to VOI to Communicate Value

ROI is about the bottom line

Value = Benefits – Cost

Make the shift to VOI (Value on I______) where the “I” is more than just Investment


The Value of Chamber Membership The Value of I_________

• Investment: Direct return for dues/non-dues• Information: Unique sources, one-stop and members only• Influence: Ability to persuade, affect outcomes• Initiative: Importance of positions, sharing perspectives• Impact: Direct result of initiative, consequences• Interaction: Accessibility and quality of conversation• Intelligence: New awareness, understanding, knowledge• Insights: Lessons learned, a-ha moments• Instruction: New skills or applications learned• Integration: Ability to implement ideas into business


Create Unique or Targeted Value Propositions

• Are intended to serve a specific audience or person

• Are specific benefits of the Chamber

• Only certain members would value the benefits

• State the Unique Value1. What are the 3 challenges

these specific or type of businesses face?

2. What are the 3 things the Chamber does that would help overcome these challenges?

3. Communicate the challenge and value the Chamber offers to members


Small Group Activity:Create a Unique Value

Proposition

Express it using this format:1. Do you know how

businesses . . .?

2. The Chamber . . .

• State the Unique Value1. What are the 3 challenges

these specific or type of businesses face?

2. What are the 3 things the Chamber does that would help overcome these challenges?

3. Communicate the challenge and value the Chamber offers to members


Examples of Unique Value Propositions

Do you know how costly it is for small, independent restaurants and retailers to advertise and promote specials on a consistent basis?

The Chamber offers low-cost advertising on our web site and in our directory to help downtown Boulder businesses reach over 2,000 people a month and generate traffic to the downtown area.

Do you know how hard it is for small manufacturers to train their staff and stay on top of all the new regulations?

The Chamber offers timely, low-cost training made available by our generous sponsors so your staff can get the skills and information they need to do their jobs and comply with new regulations.


3 Strategies to

Move from ROI to VOI


• Which sources of information do from the Chamber do you value the most and why?

• Name an opportunity provided by the Chamber that allowed you to influence a decision that affected your business.

• Describe one Chamber initiative and how it impacted your business.

• What value do you receive from interacting with other Chamber members?

#1: Get Feedback on Your VOI


• How has the Chamber helped you to develop new or stronger relationships with others in the community?

• Describe something new you learned as a result of a Chamber program and how it helped you or your business.

• Which training or educational opportunity has made the most difference to your business?

• What new ideas or perspectives did you learn from other members that have been integrated into your business?

#1: Get Feedback on Your VOI


# 3: Let Members Toot the VOI Horn

• Interview “champion” members and showcase their businesses, too (use Flip video cameras)

• Showcase video and print testimonials on your website, newsletters, directory, etc. (ex. http://www.boulderchamber.com/)

• Ask VOI questions on social media platforms and allow members to comment

• Use the exact “So What?” language members provide and mirror it

• Create a FAQ on member benefits and feature responses from members who use those benefits


Session Summary

• Value propositions sell the real benefits of membership

• Strong propositions are unique to the Chamber and are focused on benefits that matter most to prospects (they answer the “So What?”)

• Communicate the Value of I__________ and realize it’s much more than ROI where I is only an exchange of money for money

• Current members who see the value of membership communicate it the best!

©2011 Hight Performance Group It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! 21

The New 2011 Member Retention Kit is On Sale Here!

• Stop by the ACCE Store• ACCE Convention price

is $350 ($100 savings!)• All Kit Buyers receive a

free one hour consulting session with Cathi Hight

• Check out our web site: www.hightperformance.com

• Contact us for support at (720) 304-0747

Documents

©2011 Hight Performance GroupIt’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value!1 It’s Not About the Proposition, It’s About the Value! Presented by