Building a Simple Value Proposition

The three lengths

Writing the one-liner

Take the value proposition formula and trim it to its sharpest edge. Customer plus outcome plus one differentiator. "We help local landlords stop weekend emergency calls by maintaining properties before they fail." Sixteen words, three pieces present, sounds like a person.

Writing the short paragraph

Add the friction the customer recognises and one piece of proof. "We help local landlords with five to twenty properties stop weekend emergency calls without chasing trades. We visit every property twice a year, fix what would have failed and document everything. Our average customer reports two emergency calls a year instead of fifteen."

Writing the homepage block

Outcome-led opening, problem named, promise concrete, proof attached, one short paragraph about how it works, one short paragraph about who it's for, then the call to action. The block answers everything a stranger needs in under two minutes of reading.

Six worked one-liners

Plumber: We help local landlords stop weekend emergency calls by maintaining properties before they fail.

Therapist: We help working professionals get on top of stress in six sessions that fit around your diary.

Homeware shop: We help you finish a living room you nearly love by pairing furniture with the lighting and textiles that pull it together.

Copywriter: We help B2B software firms turn more homepage visitors into demo bookings, in a week, with the data afterwards.

Trades firm: We help homeowners run a kitchen extension without surprises, with a fixed price and a fortnightly written update.

Coach: We help first-time managers handle their team in 12 weeks of weekly sessions and homework that fits around the day job.

Where to put the three lengths

The one-liner goes on the homepage hero, the LinkedIn headline, the Instagram bio, the email signature subhead and the networking introduction. The short paragraph goes on the about page intro, the email signature description, the social profile description, ad copy and the proposal template opening. The homepage block goes on the homepage first scroll and the long-form proposal opening. Same proposition everywhere - the customer recognises consistency.

What to do this week

Draft the three lengths in one sitting. Read each one aloud. Update the homepage hero with the one-liner today. Update the about page with the short paragraph this week. The homepage block can wait until you have an uninterrupted hour.

The recurring principle this chapter sits on is make the offer clear. The three lengths are the offer made portable. The next chapter, Improving Weak Value Propositions, fixes the surfaces you already have without rewriting from scratch.