Why value has to be engineered now.
What customers count as value keeps changing. Fast, unpredictable conditions pull them two ways at once: a short-term focus on cost control, and a drive to become more resilient to change.
The first turns your products into commodities chased on price. The second is the opportunity — customers will invest in solutions that improve their whole system. We call this systemic value.
THE SHIFT
The two-tier sales model
The two-tier sales model
Many B2B sales organisations are splitting into two tiers. The question is which one your proposition is built to win.
Customers willing to invest want suppliers who can prove value — not just promise it.
HOW VALUE IS JUDGED NOW
Five dimensions of value
A proposition that ignores any relevant dimension risks being judged on price alone.
5 – Planet & Society
Does it do less harm, no harm, or actively good for society and the planet?
4 – People
How does it improve the work and lives of the people who use it?
3 – Strategic
How does it improve market position, or strengthen the supply and value chain?
2 – Risk & Resilience
How does it reduce operational risk and improve resilience to market change?
1- Financial
What is the return on investment?
FROM PROMISE TO OUTCOME
Customers want to buy outcomes, not promises
Uncertainty pushes customers to want more than a solution that lowers risk — they want a supplier who helps them realise the customer value afterwards. A value proposition is, in the end, only a promise. That means proposals that include risk-sharing and outcome-based contracts, and supporting customers through implementation with real change management.
FROM ONE BUYER TO MANY STAKEHOLDERS
Systemic solutions affect many people, so they involve many decision-makers.
More stakeholders, more formal tenders. Suppliers must design propositions that offer benefits to many different stakeholders — and salespeople must align all of them behind the proposal.
