Value Proposition
Turn what a product does into a single promise a specific buyer believes and can act on — the message everything else hangs off.
When to use
When the user needs a crisp value proposition for a homepage hero, deck, or campaign; when messaging feels generic, feature-led, or doesn't say who it's for; or when a new audience or segment needs its own framing.
Before you start
- Read the brand/product context first. Pull the ICP/segment, the product's core capability, the top customer pain, the differentiator, and proof (metrics, outcomes) from
.agents/product-marketing.md. If missing, ask the user for three things: who it's for, the main problem solved, and one proof point.
- Gather inputs: the segment to lead with, if there's more than one.
- Confirm the objective: a defensible one-liner. If category and competitive frame aren't settled, run
positioning-statement first; if the user wants the full hierarchy, use messaging-framework.
Method
A value proposition leads with the outcome the buyer gets, names who it's for, and attaches the mechanism and proof that make it believable — and hard for a competitor to copy. Write the promise as outcome → because → mechanism, then prove it. No proof means it's a slogan.
Workflow
- Name the buyer and the job they hire the product to do — specific, not "for teams."
- Lead with the outcome, not the feature; then attach the mechanism.
- Attach 2–3 proof points (a metric, an outcome, a credible mechanism).
- Draft the one-liner: For [buyer] who [need], [product] is the [category] that [outcome], because [mechanism]. Then a hero version ≤ 15 words.
- Pressure-test — could a competitor paste the same line? Would the buyer recognize their words? Sharpen until both pass.
- Make variants for the top 1–2 segments if they differ, and present.
Reference
This skill bundles no data files. Pull the buyer, pain, differentiator, and proof from .agents/product-marketing.md.
Present the result
- Value proposition (hero): one line, ≤ 15 words.
- Full statement: the For/who/is-the/that/because sentence.
- Proof points: 2–3 bullets.
- Variants: per segment, if applicable.
- Why it holds: one line on the differentiator that makes it hard to copy.
Guardrails & common mistakes
- Name a specific buyer. "For businesses" is not an audience; the promise must be for someone.
- Lead with the outcome, not features. A feature list isn't a value proposition.
- Include real proof. Without it, the line is a slogan the buyer won't believe.
- Pass the competitor test. If a rival could paste the same sentence, the differentiator isn't sharp enough — fix it.
Related AAJ resources
Related skills
positioning-statement · messaging-framework · brand-product-context
Credits
Original AAJ skill. The Agent Skills format and the marketing-skills catalog by Corey Haines (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, MIT) were references for structure and coverage; this skill is independently written. See the repository README for the full reference list.
1---2name: value-proposition3description: Use when the user wants to write or sharpen a value proposition — the core promise of a product for a specific audience. Also use when the user mentions value prop, core promise, "what do we say we do", main message, hero message, tagline, or "why should anyone buy this." Produces a one-line value proposition plus supporting proof points, with variants by audience.4license: MIT5---67# Value Proposition89Turn what a product does into a single promise a specific buyer believes and can act on — the message everything else hangs off.1011## When to use1213When the user needs a crisp value proposition for a homepage hero, deck, or campaign; when messaging feels generic, feature-led, or doesn't say who it's for; or when a new audience or segment needs its own framing.1415## Before you start16171. **Read the brand/product context first.** Pull the ICP/segment, the product's core capability, the top customer pain, the differentiator, and proof (metrics, outcomes) from `.agents/product-marketing.md`. If missing, ask the user for three things: who it's for, the main problem solved, and one proof point.182. **Gather inputs:** the segment to lead with, if there's more than one.193. **Confirm the objective:** a defensible one-liner. If category and competitive frame aren't settled, run `positioning-statement` first; if the user wants the full hierarchy, use `messaging-framework`.2021## Method2223A value proposition leads with the outcome the buyer gets, names who it's for, and attaches the mechanism and proof that make it believable — and hard for a competitor to copy. Write the promise as outcome → because → mechanism, then prove it. No proof means it's a slogan.2425## Workflow26271. **Name the buyer and the job** they hire the product to do — specific, not "for teams."282. **Lead with the outcome, not the feature;** then attach the mechanism.293. **Attach 2–3 proof points** (a metric, an outcome, a credible mechanism).304. **Draft the one-liner:** *For [buyer] who [need], [product] is the [category] that [outcome], because [mechanism].* Then a hero version ≤ 15 words.315. **Pressure-test** — could a competitor paste the same line? Would the buyer recognize their words? Sharpen until both pass.326. **Make variants** for the top 1–2 segments if they differ, and present.3334## Reference3536This skill bundles no data files. Pull the buyer, pain, differentiator, and proof from `.agents/product-marketing.md`.3738## Present the result3940- **Value proposition (hero):** one line, ≤ 15 words.41- **Full statement:** the For/who/is-the/that/because sentence.42- **Proof points:** 2–3 bullets.43- **Variants:** per segment, if applicable.44- **Why it holds:** one line on the differentiator that makes it hard to copy.4546## Guardrails & common mistakes4748- **Name a specific buyer.** "For businesses" is not an audience; the promise must be for someone.49- **Lead with the outcome, not features.** A feature list isn't a value proposition.50- **Include real proof.** Without it, the line is a slogan the buyer won't believe.51- **Pass the competitor test.** If a rival could paste the same sentence, the differentiator isn't sharp enough — fix it.5253## Related AAJ resources5455- AAJ tools — https://aajconsult.com/tools (positioning work to lock category and differentiator).5657## Related skills5859`positioning-statement` · `messaging-framework` · `brand-product-context`6061## Credits6263Original AAJ skill. The Agent Skills format and the marketing-skills catalog by Corey Haines (`coreyhaines31/marketingskills`, MIT) were references for structure and coverage; this skill is independently written. See the repository README for the full reference list.
sarojkjha