What is really considered “Adding Value”?

You hear it all the time, heck you may be guilty of it as well ( I know I was), you get on the phone with a customer and you keep rambling on about how you “add value”. It happens everyday, whether you are interviewing, doing a sales pitch or even while on a date…people have this fascination or maybe false sense of obligation to tell someone that they add value.

But what exactly is it to add value? Is it just to tell people what you will do for them if they choose to hire,work or date you? How can we be so certain that what we offer is truly what the other party really needs and therefore it’s interpreted as a value add? This term in my opinion is thrown loosely and more often than it cheapens the mere principle of adding value.

So what is value? I can tell you that it’s not just a set of words and prefabricated actions. To add value you must first uncover that deep dark need that keeps that person up at night. What is their number one problem? Or at least one of the top 10. You have to have a deep conversation, ask the right questions and then and only then can you determine if you add value. Now here’s the kicker, for you to really add value you must demonstrate that you truly care about this need, then you must take this need and show them, not tell them, how you can resolve it. Then comes the fun part… you must then act and actually provide the value that you said that you were going to provide.

So if you’re a Marketer, don’t go in saying “oh we can generate 100 leads in 24 hours”… chances are they already have a means of doing this. Ask the right questions “how are you currently getting your leads?”, “ what is your close percentage on these leads?” “ if you could chan he anyone thing about the quality of the leads, what would it be?”, “ what are the most common objections these leads are giving you?”, “ is your sales staff properly trained to close these leads?”, etc. etc.

Only once you take your time to get to know your customer and the problems that they have, can you prescribe your solution. Have your solution come from a place of genuineness. If you are not confident that you can deliver 100% on your promise, do not take the deal. A bad reputation can cost you thousands in the long run.