You probably are underselling yourself. Simply because you are not articulating the value inside your offer. Here’s how to change that…

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If there is one constant in all the marketing I see with my clients (and in my own), it’s that we undersell ourselves.

That’s because we fail to explain the full value we deliver. It’s incredibly easy to do and it’s down to taking too much of what we do for granted.

The solution is a copywriting technique called the Value Prism.

Value Prisms have three levels, Dimensionalized Benefits, Value from Parts and Value from Creation.

Here’s how they work…

Level 1: Dimensionalized Benefits

Imagine you are buying a coat.

Ostensibly, you’re buying protection from the weather (function), but you are also buying how it makes you feel (emotions) and how you think others will perceive you (status).

So, the coat has three values.

Your services have those same three values and it’s your marketing’s job to highlight all three as best you can.

That means you are demonstrating the practical outcome you can deliver, how that will make the client feel and how that will impact their status.

Here’s an example for a coach who works with sales teams whose numbers have been falling…

“Improve your team’s standing (status) with month-on-month sales increases (practical) with systemic changes you can have 100% confidence in (emotions).”

That’s a bit clunky, but you see how that works.

Now think about a more subtle example – car ads: The practicality of a fuel-efficient car that feels great to drive and has that badge.

Or men’s razor blades: A close shave that will make you feel great and more attractive.

Everything, including your services, is a practical, emotional and status sale.

Look at your marketing, especially on your services page. Do you directly talk about or suggest the emotional and status benefits as well as the practical benefits?

(For B2B clients, the status sale will always include not making the client look foolish for hiring you. It’s also true in B2C, but can cost someone their job in B2B. That’s why proof elements are so important.)

Level 2: Component Parts

One of the marketing challenges of being a copywriter is the word ‘writer’.

Most people think being a copywriter means ‘having a way with words’.

But ask any good copywriter and they tell you the same thing. Client after client sees what we do and says, ‘You do so much more just write, don’t you!’

In fact, we do waaay more…

client research
competition audits
discovery processes
brand messaging
positioning
value propositions
offer design
and on and on and on

And I bet you could say exactly the same about your process, right?

That’s why your marketing needs to explain the component parts of your process. It plays a huge part in increasing how your value is understood.

Do you have a process page or case studies to highlight the depth of your process?

Level 3: Value from Creation

We are more willing to pay for something we believe took a lot of effort or expense to provide. It’s part of our internal fairness meter.

That means you need to be explicit about the cost behind what you are delivering.

Here’s how that might work in your copy…

“I use a proprietary framework to pinpoint bottlenecks in your business.”

“Over the last five years, and having worked with multiple seven and eight-figure businesses, I have developed a proprietary framework to pinpoint bottlenecks in your business.”

See the difference when you talk about the effort that went into the framework?

If you are charging high fees for your services, you need to give your clients reasons to see them as fair.

Look at your marketing.

Are there opportunities to talk about the cost of creating your process?

Summary

By using Value Prisms in your marketing, you give your clients multiple reasons to sign with you. It’s all about making sure everything you deliver is fully valued.

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