Why Most Value Props Fail (And What to Do Instead)

A person is doing a handstand in the snow
You spent weeks crafting your value proposition.

It went through three strategy sessions, two brand consultants, and one near-existential crisis.

And still…

🦗 Crickets.
⛹️ Your prospects bounce.
🔥 Your GERD flares up.
🤦 Your sales team rewrites it into a sentence that isn’t even in the brand guide.

So… what gives?

🚩 Why Most Value Props Flop

Here’s the brutal truth: most value props fail for one (or more) of these reasons:

❌ They’re too vague
❌ They’re too clever
❌ They’re obsessed with being “different” instead of being clear

Real people don’t want to engage with your elevated, impact-driven wellness-tech ecosystem.

They just want to know:

✔️ What is this?
✔️ Who is it for?
✔️ Why should I care right now?

If your value prop doesn’t answer those three questions immediately, it’s not a value prop — it’s a vibe. And vibes don’t convert.

🧠 What the Research Says

The Ehrenberg-Bass Institute has data to back this up:

→ Most customers don’t need you to be radically different
→ They just need you to be relevant and obvious at the moment of choice

Your value prop doesn’t have to impress.

It just has to land.

Stop trying to sound like a TED Talk. Start sounding like a brand that gets it.

💡 What Actually Works (And What I Help Clients Build)

The good news? Fixing your value prop doesn’t require a rebrand — it requires a reframe.

✅ Messaging based on buying triggers, not internal mission statements
✅ Clear articulation of what you offer — fast, without mental gymnastics
✅ Language that mirrors how people actually search, think, and decide

This is how you go from “meh” to money.

And if you don’t know what your customers are actually thinking about when they buy?

That’s what research, interviews, and behavioral data are for.

🎯 What’s Next

If your messaging feels like it was written for a keynote, not a conversion, stay tuned.

Next up:

How to test if your messaging is working without spending six figures on a brand study.

You’ll walk away with ways to test messaging in the real world, using nothing but your site, your inbox, and some good ol’ fashioned feedback loops.

👉 Ready to fix your value prop?

Book a free meeting or check out my services. I help brands go from vague to valuable — fast.
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