Identifying the customer's problem: standing out and gaining leads

Do you ever struggle to explain what you do in a way that clicks with prospects? My guest, Zoltan Vardy, is here to help. In this episode, he walks us through a live roleplay to demonstrate how you can clearly articulate your company’s value and get your message across with ease. Grab a pen and paper—you’ll want to jot down his simple, practical framework.

Meet Zoltan Vardy

·  Zoltan Vardy is a B2B sales advisor, author, and speaker who helps founders accelerate their revenue growth by sharpening their focus and structuring their sales to scale faster.

·  He’s generated $2 billion in sales over his 30 years as a C-suite executive and entrepreneur and has helped 200+ startups in 26 countries close high-ticket deals using The Launch Code sales framework — also the foundation of his book on founder-led sales. 

·  Zoltan has had successful exits as a founder and investor and is chairman of Antavo, an enterprise SaaS tech company.

The Sales Messaging Problem

·  Salespeople and founders often list features and benefits when talking to customers, but this can overwhelm prospects with technical jargon, leaving them feeling confused.

·  With so much noise in today’s digital world, clarity and brevity are more important than ever.

Zoltan’s Five-Step Value Proposition Framework

·  Zoltan shares his five-question framework to craft a powerful value proposition:

o  Identify the Problem: What is your target customer struggling with? What question are they asking themselves that your business answers?

o  Define the Target Customer: Who are you trying to help? What are the key traits of these companies or individuals?

o  Describe Your Product/Service: What is your offering in clear, simple terms?

o  Highlight the Key Benefit: What is the main advantage your customer gains from working with you?

o  Clarify Your Competitive Advantage: What makes your solution uniquely compelling and difficult for competitors to copy?

Live Walkthrough: Crafting a Value Proposition for Blue Mango

·  I volunteer my own production company, Blue Mango, as a case study. Together, we dive into each step, discussing:

o The challenges faced by traditional manufacturing companies in creating engaging content

o The needs of marketing leaders at these firms for more lead generation and greater brand authority

o The importance of defining Blue Mango as a content production agency with a sales focus

o The main benefits: saving clients time and generating qualified leads

o Blue Mango’s competitive advantage: expertise in integrating sales strategy with content production

The Final Value Proposition

·  Using Zoltan’s structure, they draft a clear, compelling value proposition for Blue Mango:

o    “Blue Mango is a content production agency that helps traditional manufacturers generate leads by building a turnkey service that delivers social media and podcast content focused on supporting sales.”

·  Zoltan emphasizes that this message is succinct, easily repeatable in any setting, and serves as a launchpad for deeper conversation.

Tips for Refining Your Message

·  Keep the language natural—imagine explaining what you do to a bright 12-year-old.

·  Avoid cramming in too many details or buzzwords.

·  Test your value proposition in real conversations and refine it as you go.

·  Remember: the purpose is to spark curiosity and open the door to further discussion, not explain everything at once.

“Oftentimes, in an initial conversation, I’ll ask people to tell me how they would describe their company. From there, I can gauge how serious the prospect is and what kind of approach they need.” - Zoltan Vardy.

Resources

· Zoltan offers a free 30-minute training video and downloadable worksheet to help you craft your own value proposition. Access it at zoltanvardy.com/podcast.

·  Connect with Zoltan on LinkedIn. 

·  Thinking about starting a podcast yourself? Learn more about Blue Mango Studios. 

Sponsorship Offers

1.  This episode is brought to you in part by Hubspot.

With HubSpot sales hubs, your data tools and teams join a single platform to close deals and turn prospects into pipelines. Try it for yourself at hubspot.com/sales.

2.  This episode is brought to you in part by LinkedIn.

Are you tired of prospective clients not responding to your emails? Sign up for a free 60-day trial of LinkedIn Sales Navigator at linkedin.com/tse.

3.  This episode is brought to you in part by the TSE Sales Foundation.

Improve your connection on LinkedIn and land three or five appointments with our LinkedIn prospecting course. Go to the salesevangelist.com/linkedin.

Credits

As one of our podcast listeners, we value your opinion and always want to improve the quality of our show. Complete our two-minute survey here: thesalesevangelist.com/survey. We’d love for you to join us for our next episodes by tuning in on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, Stitcher, or Spotify. Audio provided by Free SFX, Soundstripe, and Bensound. Other songs used in the episodes are as follows: The Organ Grinder written by Bradley Jay Hill, performed by Bright Seed, and Produced by Brightseed and Hill.