You know how your co-op benefits people – but it can feel difficult to explain to others. If your co-op is looking for new members, customers, volunteers, or investors, having a clear, concise message about what you offer them is useful.
Writing a value proposition will help.
According to BDC, a value proposition is “a clear, compelling description of how your business meets the needs of customers in a way your competitors don’t.” Here’s a guide to creating a value proposition that resonates with your audience and boosts your co-op’s success.
Start by getting to know your audience well. Who are you trying to reach – members, customers, or someone else? Find out more about them. What do they need? What problems are they facing? You can do this through surveys, interviews, phone calls or other methods of collecting feedback. Knowing what your audience wants and values will help you create a proposition that speaks to them.
Keep in mind: co-ops are often trying to reach more than one audience, and different audiences may require different value propositions. A co-op is owned by its members and its purpose is to serve them, so members are one of its most important audiences. But co-ops may have other audiences as well – customers, funders, volunteers, investors, community members, and more.
If you’re a consumer co-op, your customers are your members, so your value proposition will focus on convincing this audience to buy from the co-op. However, in a producer co-op, the members are sellers who have customers they need to reach. Therefore, members and customers are two separate audiences who require two different messages. Your members need to know how the co-op improves their bottom line, while customers need to know why your co-op is the best place to buy from.
List your audience’s “pain points” – the frustrations or challenges they deal with that you can help them solve. What benefits does your co-op offer that will help them resolve their challenges? It might be how you share profits, the quality of your products and services, or the benefits of working together.
Focus on tangible and measurable benefits that meet your members’ and customers’ needs. Don’t focus on your product, but rather on how your product or service improves your audience’s lives.
Your value proposition must be brief and easy to understand. Keep to a few sentences, and don’t use jargon or language your audience might not understand. Writing short and clear statements is difficult! It can take a while to figure out how to say what you want to say clearly; play around with your description until you arrive at some options you like.
The easier it is for people to see how your co-op can help them meet their needs and goals, the better.
Creating a compelling value proposition is an ongoing process. Test your proposition with a small audience and see what they think. Use this feedback to refine your message until it connects with the audience you’ve chosen. Does it make it clear how being involved in your co-op would benefit them?
Always keep your audience and their needs in mind as you create your value proposition. It can be easy to talk instead about your co-op and why their involvement would benefit you – but this isn’t the best way to connect with people. Convincing them that being involved in your co-op will bring them something they want or closer to a goal they have will make them more likely to get involved.
Once you have a value proposition you can use it in your messaging, your website, and to explain to people you meet what your co-op does. Ensuring your board and members know it will keep you all on the same page.
Here are some value propositions that clearly describe their co-op and the value it provides to its audience:
“Our Co-operative Farmer’s Market offers you a direct connection to local freshness, community, and sustainability. By joining us, you support local farmers and artisans, enjoy farm-fresh, organic produce, and contribute to a sustainable and thriving local economy. Together, we’re cultivating a healthier community and planet, one purchase at a time.”
“Empower your child’s growth and creativity in our nurturing childcare co-operative. Our community-based approach brings together professional care, educational enrichment, and the warmth of a supportive network, ensuring your child thrives in a safe, engaging environment.”
“Unlock the power of community-driven prosperity with our local investment co-operative. We offer a unique opportunity to impact your community’s growth and resilience by investing in local businesses and projects. Our co-op creates not only financial returns but also a stronger, more interconnected community. Together, we can build a thriving local economy that benefits everyone.”
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