It is no longer enough for you to simply be competent in your role, specifically if you plan to climb the upper echelons of the C-suite.
One particular domain where modern leaders are expected to excel is articulating the value they bring for their clients and their own organizations.
Amidst the whirlwind of daily tasks, most of us intuit our way to B+ answers, and as a result, many never go beyond a lackluster listing of how the work we do helps clients drive sales, avoid costs or enter new markets.
There’s a richer, more resonant way to express your value. A way that pivots on emphasizing you and what the distinctive value your client is getting because they have chosen to collaborate with you rather than someone else.
Below, we’ll explore the three levels of articulating value with examples of each to help you move up towards the summit.
Base Camp: Describing What You Do
The lowest level of articulating the value you bring never goes beyond a rote regurgitation of your job description.
While it’s essential to have a crisp and concise response to ‘what do you do for us’, it is critical that your internal concept of value is not limited to your primary functions.
In fact, it is crucial to recognize that the first level of articulating value is only a springboard to a fuller description. At best, it is the opening segment of your elevator pitch; it is not the final destination.
For example, an IT manager might be fully truthful when they describe the value they add by stating that “I oversee our IT infrastructure, ensuring system stability and leading our technical support teams that have reduced our downtime to zero.”
However, if left here, this statement does a disservice to the depth and breadth of their contribution because it misses a key insight: what does all of this do for the client?
Almost There: Understanding What Your Outputs Mean For The Client
While the first tier is about clarity in your role’s scope, the second tier dives deeper, shedding light on the tangible impact your role has on the client.
In this level, the emphasis subtly shifts from the ‘what’ to the much more powerful ‘so what?’ by describing the value you bring from the viewpoint of the client.
Continuing on with our intrepid IT manager, here’s an example that is sure to resonate much more deeply with the client: “By ensuring 99.9% system uptime, I guarantee our clients’ operational continuity, which directly translates to an average annual productivity gain of 5% for them. Additionally, through proactive threat mitigation, I’ve reduced cybersecurity incidents by 80%, safeguarding our clients’ data and keeping their trade secrets from the hands of competitors.”
This level calls for a marriage between metrics and narrative; a satisfying relationship between a description of what you spend your time on and how that translates into tangible impacts that the client recognizes as relevant and worth paying for.
Mastering this level is both an art and a science, and you will find that different cultures and languages give you different parameters to work with.
What remains constant across all geographies and clients is the incredible power of being able to clearly communicate how your work contributes to what they care about.
What is even more powerful is taking your articulation of value to the highest level by adding emphasis on what value you bring as an individual expert, distinct from the competing masses eager to provide similar services under similar SLAs.
Articulating Your Distinctive Value
As we ascend the levels of articulating value, we move from clarity to impact, and finally, to an unparalleled distinction of you and the value you bring.
Sadly, this is a summit that most leaders never reach. Not because it’s beyond their grasp, but mostly because climbing to the preceding level is already good enough to seal the deal.
But for those aiming to transcend the ordinary, there’s so much more that you can do.
If you pay close attention to leaders that are also top-tier communicators such as Larry Fink, Satya Nadella and Tim Cook, you’re sure to notice how they weave in a healthy dose of self-awareness and a singular stamp of individuality which sets them, and the firms they represent, apart from the rest.
Their speeches and client facing interactions are never just about business metrics, ROI and implementation strategies. Listen closely, and you’ll be sure to notice an underlying thread—a distinctive blend of self-awareness and a signature style that sets both them and their organizations apart.
In short, they don’t merely communicate; they leave an indelible imprint of value that others will find difficult to match.
To truly excel on this level, one must jump head first into introspection, seeking out the singular experiences, perspectives, and values that make the value you bring unique. It’s about crafting a narrative that’s more profound than “This is what I do” or “This is the impact”. It’s a declaration of “This is the essence of who I am, and why there’s no substitute.”
For our IT manager, one way of ascending to this height would be to acknowledge their distinctive journey that is intertwined with the client’s. They might say, “While the technical aspects of my role are universal, the experiences we’ve shared together aren’t. Over the years, we’ve navigated challenges, celebrated successes, and grown better at what we do together. The IT solutions I curate aren’t just informed by industry best practices, but by the intricate dance of our shared history. While there are dozens of IT managers with a similar skillset, none carry the roadmap of our shared experiences and the lessons we’ve co-authored.”
With this kind of value articulation, one not only stands out, but also stands above the competition, creating an unmatched narrative of collaboration and growth.
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