AAJ Marketing SkillsSkills

// design

Value Proposition

Use when the user wants to write or sharpen a value proposition — the core promise of a product for a specific audience. Also use when the user mentions value prop, core promise, "what do we say we do", main message, hero message, tagline, or "why should anyone buy this." Produces a one-line value proposition plus supporting proof points, with variants by audience.

DesignStarter
bash
$npx skills add sarojkjha/aaj-marketing-skills --skill value-proposition

// when to use it

Use when the user wants to write or sharpen a value proposition — the core promise of a product for a specific audience. Also use when the user mentions value prop, core promise, "what do we say we do", main message, hero message, tagline, or "why should anyone buy this." Produces a one-line value proposition plus supporting proof points, with variants by audience.

// what you give

The ICP/segment, the core capability, the top customer pain, the differentiator, and proof.

// what you get

A hero value proposition, a full For/who/is-the/that/because statement, proof points, and per-segment variants.

Value Proposition

Turn what a product does into a single promise a specific buyer believes and can act on — the message everything else hangs off.

When to use

When the user needs a crisp value proposition for a homepage hero, deck, or campaign; when messaging feels generic, feature-led, or doesn't say who it's for; or when a new audience or segment needs its own framing.

Before you start

  1. Read the brand/product context first. Pull the ICP/segment, the product's core capability, the top customer pain, the differentiator, and proof (metrics, outcomes) from .agents/product-marketing.md. If missing, ask the user for three things: who it's for, the main problem solved, and one proof point.
  2. Gather inputs: the segment to lead with, if there's more than one.
  3. Confirm the objective: a defensible one-liner. If category and competitive frame aren't settled, run positioning-statement first; if the user wants the full hierarchy, use messaging-framework.

Method

A value proposition leads with the outcome the buyer gets, names who it's for, and attaches the mechanism and proof that make it believable — and hard for a competitor to copy. Write the promise as outcome → because → mechanism, then prove it. No proof means it's a slogan.

Workflow

  1. Name the buyer and the job they hire the product to do — specific, not "for teams."
  2. Lead with the outcome, not the feature; then attach the mechanism.
  3. Attach 2–3 proof points (a metric, an outcome, a credible mechanism).
  4. Draft the one-liner: For [buyer] who [need], [product] is the [category] that [outcome], because [mechanism]. Then a hero version ≤ 15 words.
  5. Pressure-test — could a competitor paste the same line? Would the buyer recognize their words? Sharpen until both pass.
  6. Make variants for the top 1–2 segments if they differ, and present.

Reference

This skill bundles no data files. Pull the buyer, pain, differentiator, and proof from .agents/product-marketing.md.

Present the result

  • Value proposition (hero): one line, ≤ 15 words.
  • Full statement: the For/who/is-the/that/because sentence.
  • Proof points: 2–3 bullets.
  • Variants: per segment, if applicable.
  • Why it holds: one line on the differentiator that makes it hard to copy.

Guardrails & common mistakes

  • Name a specific buyer. "For businesses" is not an audience; the promise must be for someone.
  • Lead with the outcome, not features. A feature list isn't a value proposition.
  • Include real proof. Without it, the line is a slogan the buyer won't believe.
  • Pass the competitor test. If a rival could paste the same sentence, the differentiator isn't sharp enough — fix it.

Related AAJ resources

Related skills

positioning-statement · messaging-framework · brand-product-context

Credits

Original AAJ skill. The Agent Skills format and the marketing-skills catalog by Corey Haines (coreyhaines31/marketingskills, MIT) were references for structure and coverage; this skill is independently written. See the repository README for the full reference list.

// faq

// install

$npx skills add sarojkjha/aaj-marketing-skills --skill value-proposition

// worked example

Get the worked example for value-proposition

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// sprint

Positioning & Message Sprint — $3,500, 10 business days

This skill is one of the engines behind the Positioning & Message Sprint — $3,500, ten business days.

Positioning, copy, and voice governance — every claim defensible.

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// human in the loop

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