Everything Counts Toward Your Value Proposition

Imagine you own a small car detailing business in Manhattan. It’s a crowded market with low barriers to entry—competitors pop up like mushrooms after a rainstorm, only to vanish just as quickly. Price competition is fierce, with most businesses offering similar services.

How do you give yourself the best chance of survival? You need to stand out so you can charge higher prices, attract more customers, or ideally, both. You need a differentiated value proposition.

You know your customers want fast, convenient, affordable service. But above all, they expect their car returned in pristine condition.

Now, meet Steve. He owns a struggling detailing shop. His sign says “Detaling” (yes, misspelled), and the shop itself looks less than pristine.

This isn’t a critique of Steve’s skill; for all I know, he might be the best detailer in New York City. But that’s not the impression I got as I walked by.

Why perception trumps reality

For Steve, as for any business, what you say matters less than what you do. How customers experience your service is what truly defines your value proposition. Every touchpoint—your signage, website, employees, and even your return policy—contributes to how your brand is perceived.

As I’ve written before, people make purchase decisions emotionally. Customers look for clues everywhere to judge if your business fits their emotional needs. They assemble a narrative in their minds, and each interaction with your brand feeds into that story.

Remember when Staples advertised how easy they were to shop with their iconic “Easy Button”? It was a brilliant metaphor for their core promise: making office supplies simple to buy. But imagine trying to return an item at Staples and encountering endless obstacles. One bad experience would wipe out all their “easy” claims.

That’s Brand Dissonance—the disconnect customers feel when their experience doesn’t match your promise. It’s jarring, and it undermines trust. Customers want alignment between what you promise and what you deliver.

High quality? Prove it at every touchpoint

If you position yourself as premium, every detail must reinforce that promise.

I often order delivery from a local sushi place called Tom Sushi here in Vancouver. Their sushi is top quality, and they reinforce that positioning through their packaging: no greasy paper bags or flimsy plastic here. Instead, my order arrives in a well-designed, professionally printed bag. Before I even open it, I already know I’m about to enjoy a quality experience.

They even extend this commitment to their employees. Tom Sushi understands that happy employees create happy customers, and that kind of internal alignment strengthens their brand perception.

This reminds me of the first annual retreat I took my Widerfunnel team on in Las Vegas (which I’ll write about in a future article). There’s nothing like an unforgettable travel experience to gel a team!

Your value proposition is made up of everything

Everything—literally everything—shapes how customers perceive your value proposition.

I recommend that every business leader walk through their customer’s experience from start to finish. Go to where your customers begin their journey, whether it’s a search engine, a street corner, or an app. Put yourself in their shoes: fill out the inquiry form, get a quote, compare products, make a purchase, submit a complaint.

Look for inconsistencies between your promises and the actual experience. Notice the delays, the confusion, the crumbs in the corners.

That’s the work of optimizing your experience to deliver on your value proposition.