Take Five: RU LinkedIn? 5 Reasons To Check It Out

Q&A Brings Fresh Perspectives on Government Contracting Questions

I've cruised "Web 2.0" over the summer, and concluded -- at least for now -- that Linkedin is my top choice for online business networks on government contracting.

Until LinkedIn added the new Q&A forums, I wasn't sure why I accepted my friends' invitations to "link" when I already had them in my contacts database. Q&A changed that. Now, I can specify the topics I want to follow -- for example, government contracts, small business, and marketing -- and:

• Informally survey my own contacts -- for market research, ideas, or new connections
  
• Put out a question to the whole LinkedIn network
• Showcase my expertise by answering OTHERS' questions
• Refer business to my friends
• Support my colleagues by giving their best answers a high ranking

Not LinkedIn yet? It's free -- take a look.

Unique Value Propositions

Make Yours Rock!

This article and the details in the concluding link were developed in collaboration with Scott Lewis, President and CEO, PS Partnerships, whom I thank for his generosity of time to chat in a recent interview.

Process

Some companies hire someone to lead a $20-$30,000 process to create Unique Value Proposition statements that they use to ensure consistent communications to the marketplace as well as internally. Others do it themselves.

Either way, your goal in creating a UVP is to relate your technology or offering to a business problem or issue that you help solve, and then communicate that connection to your targeted audiences or stakeholders.

• Self assessment: a good hard look at what you really offer
  
• Competitive Analysis & Positioning:Map out the competition, and how the competition presents itself, how they communicate their value proposition.
• Substantiation:Collect case studies that demonstrate your UVP, and create compelling stories that make your company stand out from the competition.
• Drafting: If you don’t have the right communications team, consider engaging professional help to craft language and suggest top priorities audiences for whom a UVP will generate the highest return.
• Define Audiences: You might need to develop several variations of your Unique Value Proposition, because you want to communicate different messages to different stakeholders. For example:
• End-users
• Systems integrators
• Government agency officials
• Non-technical executives
• Buyers
• Chief Technology Officers
• Channel Partner
• Media
• Solution Providers
• Investors
• Your own team/employees

• Testing

Get more on Unique Value Propositions -- examples and details on these process steps