Conduct a jobs-to-be-done interview that surfaces the functional, social and emotional job a customer is hiring a product to do.
Marketing & Sales
Value Proposition Design and Messaging Frameworks
Teaches a structured method for turning customer jobs, pains and gains into a value proposition and message hierarchy that sales and marketing teams can use consistently.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Many companies describe features rather than value, and sales and marketing teams end up using inconsistent language that dilutes an otherwise strong position. This course gives participants a repeatable framework for building a value proposition from evidence rather than opinion: jobs-to-be-done interviews to uncover functional, social and emotional motivations, a value proposition canvas to match pains and gains to specific relievers and creators, a positioning statement built from segment, category and reason to believe, and a message hierarchy that carries a single core claim down to pillar messages and proof points. It also covers how to test draft messaging with real customers before committing budget, and how to adapt one validated message hierarchy across sales conversations, websites and advertising without losing consistency. Teaching combines a canvas-building workshop, a message-map exercise and a message-testing simulation, so participants leave with a validated value proposition and messaging framework ready for sales enablement and campaign briefs.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Complete a value proposition canvas that maps customer pains and gains against specific pain relievers and gain creators.
Write a positioning statement that names the target segment, category, differentiator and reason to believe.
Build a message hierarchy that moves from a single core claim down to pillar messages and supporting proof points.
Differentiate a value proposition from competitors using evidence rather than superlative claims.
Test draft messaging with target customers using simple methods such as a five-second comprehension test.
Adapt a core value proposition into channel-specific messaging for sales, website and advertising without losing consistency.
Who Should Attend
Product marketing managers responsible for positioning a product ahead of a launch.
Founders who must explain product value clearly to investors, customers and new hires.
Content and campaign marketers translating a value proposition into channel-specific copy.
Sales enablement leads building messaging that representatives can repeat consistently.
Brand managers reviewing whether current messaging still reflects customer priorities.
Product managers partnering with marketing on positioning for a new feature or product line.
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Researching the Customer Job to Be Done
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Jobs, Pains and Gains Discovery
- Conduct a jobs-to-be-done interview that distinguishes the functional task from the social and emotional motivations behind it.
- Separate customer pains, including risks and frustrations, from gains, including desired outcomes and unexpected benefits.
- Rank pains and gains by severity and frequency to focus messaging on what customers care about most.
- Avoid leading questions in discovery interviews that would confirm an existing assumption rather than test it.
Session 2Building the Value Proposition Canvas
- Map a customer profile of jobs, pains and gains before drafting any product-side claims.
- Match specific product features to pain relievers and gain creators rather than listing capabilities generically.
- Identify gaps where the current product fails to relieve a top-ranked customer pain.
- Prioritise which pain relievers and gain creators to lead with based on evidence from customer research.
02Constructing the Positioning Statement
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Category, Segment and Differentiation
- Define the competitive frame of reference by naming the category customers would use to describe alternatives.
- Write a positioning statement that states target segment, category, point of difference and reason to believe.
- Stress-test a positioning statement by checking whether a direct competitor could claim the same words.
- Choose a reason to believe that references a verifiable capability rather than an unsupported superlative.
Session 2Competitive Differentiation Analysis
- Compare competitor claims side by side to find genuinely unclaimed territory in the category.
- Distinguish a real point of difference from a point of parity that every competitor already claims.
- Assess whether a differentiator matters enough to the target segment to justify leading with it.
- Decide when to reposition around a new differentiator rather than compete on an already-claimed attribute.
03Building the Message Hierarchy
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1From Core Claim to Supporting Pillars
- Draft a single core message framework that captures the value proposition in one memorable sentence.
- Break the core message into three or four pillar messages that each address a distinct customer pain or gain.
- Attach concrete proof points, such as capabilities or outcomes, to each pillar message.
- Sequence messages so the most decision-relevant pillar appears first for the target audience.
Session 2Adapting Messages Across Channels and Audiences
- Adapt a single message hierarchy into website copy, sales talk tracks and advertising headlines without contradiction.
- Adjust message emphasis for different buying-committee roles while keeping the core claim consistent.
- Localise messaging tone for different regions or segments without changing the underlying value proposition.
- Build a message map document that sales and marketing teams can both reference for consistency.
04Testing and Rolling Out Messaging
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Message Testing Methods
- Run a five-second test to check whether target customers grasp the core message without additional context.
- Design a simple message A/B test that isolates one variable, such as headline framing, for a fair comparison.
- Interpret qualitative feedback from message testing to revise wording rather than only measuring click-through.
- Recognise when negative test results point to a positioning problem rather than a wording problem.
Session 2Enabling Sales and Marketing Teams
- Translate a tested message hierarchy into a sales talk track with objection-handling language attached.
- Brief creative and campaign teams using the message hierarchy so campaign concepts stay on-strategy.
- Set a review cadence to refresh messaging as competitor claims or customer priorities shift.
- Track message adoption by checking whether sales and marketing materials still use outdated language.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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