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    Value proposition templates and examples for B2B sales

    Most cold emails fail because the value proposition is vague. 'We help businesses grow with innovative solutions' could be anyone. A useful value proposition is narrow enough that the wrong buyer can tell it is not for them.

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    Quick answer

    A B2B value proposition says who you help, what problem you solve for them and what changes as a result, in words the buyer would use. The formulas below give you five ways to write one, with examples and two emails that put it to work.

    Write it for one role in one segment first. You can widen it later; you cannot sharpen a sentence that tries to cover everyone.

    How to use these templates

    Every {{placeholder}} marks something you must research or write yourself. Replace all of them before you send, and if you cannot fill one with something true and specific, pick a different template.

    The names mean the same thing on every page: {{first_name}} and {{company}} are always the prospect and their business, {{your_name}}, {{your_company}} and {{your_phone}} are always you, and {{their_phone}} is the number you called them on.

    Each email ends with {{signature}} and {{opt_out}}. {{signature}} is your full name, role, company, website and phone number. {{opt_out}} is one plain line. On a cold email: If this isn't relevant, reply "no thanks" and I won't contact you again. In an ongoing conversation it can be quieter: Prefer not to hear from me? Reply "unsubscribe". Keep both in every commercial email, including short follow-ups.

    The four ingredients

    Every working value proposition answers four questions. If any answer is generic, the whole sentence becomes generic.

    • Who: one role in one type of company, such as finance leaders at Australian logistics firms.
    • Problem: the pain in their words, not your category name.
    • Outcome: what changes for them, ideally something they are measured on.
    • Difference: why you rather than the alternative they already have, including doing nothing.

    Where the formulas come from

    Formula 1 adapts the positioning statement template from Geoffrey Moore's book Crossing the Chasm, first published in 1991. The thinking behind formula 3 draws on the Value Proposition Canvas, developed by Alexander Osterwalder and published with Strategyzer in Value Proposition Design (2014), which maps customer jobs, pains and gains. The others are working formulas our SDR managers use when writing call openers and emails.

    None of them is magic. They are prompts that force you to be specific. The test is whether a buyer, hearing it on a call, would say 'yes, that's us' or 'no, that's not us', rather than 'what do you actually do?'

    Test your value proposition in five minutes

    Read it aloud to someone who does not work in sales. If they cannot repeat it back in their own words, simplify it. Then try it as the second sentence of a cold call; the cold call script generator builds an opener around it.

    • Could a competitor say exactly the same sentence? Make the difference sharper.
    • Does it contain 'solutions', 'innovative' or 'leading'? Replace them with specifics.
    • Can you prove the outcome if asked? If not, soften it to what you can show.

    Five value proposition formulas with examples

    Each formula is followed by an example. The examples use generic businesses, not real clients, so treat the outcomes as illustrations to replace with your own.

    Formula 1: the positioning statement

    Adapted from Geoffrey Moore's template in Crossing the Chasm.

    1. For {{target_customer}} who {{need_or_problem}}, {{product}} is a {{category}} that {{key_benefit}}. Unlike {{main_alternative}}, we {{key_difference}}.
    2. Example: For finance teams at mid-sized Australian distributors who chase supplier invoices by hand, our platform is an accounts payable tool that matches invoices to purchase orders automatically. Unlike spreadsheets and email inboxes, it flags mismatches before payment runs.

      Best for internal alignment and website copy.

    Formula 2: problem, outcome, proof

    The shortest version, and the one that works best in a cold email.

    1. We help {{target_role_plural}} at {{company_type}} stop {{problem}}, so they can {{outcome}}. {{proof_point}}.
    2. Example: We help operations managers at regional freight companies stop losing hours to manual dispatch changes, so drivers leave on time. Most teams we work with see the difference in the first month.

      Only use a proof point you can show if asked.

    Formula 3: jobs, pains and gains

    Draws on the thinking behind the Value Proposition Canvas.

    1. When {{role}} needs to {{job_to_be_done}}, the hard part is {{pain}}. We {{how_you_remove_pain}}, so they {{gain}}.
    2. Example: When a practice manager needs to fill late cancellations, the hard part is ringing through a waitlist between patients. We text the waitlist automatically, so empty appointments get filled without anyone leaving the front desk.

      Good for discovery and for finding the pain to lead with.

    Formula 4: before and after

    Paints the change. Works well for owners and operational buyers.

    1. Today, {{target_customer}} {{current_painful_state}}. With {{product}}, they {{new_state}}.
    2. Example: Today, most electricians we speak with quote jobs at night from notes on their phone. With our app, they send the quote from the van before they leave the site.

      Keep the 'today' line true for the segment.

    Formula 5: the one-line call opener

    The version you say out loud in the first 30 seconds of a call or the second line of an email.

    1. We work with {{target_role_plural}} who are dealing with {{problem}}. Is that something you're seeing at {{company}}?
    2. Example: We work with heads of sales who are struggling to get enough first meetings with the right buyers. Is that something you're seeing at the moment?

      Ends with a question so the prospect talks next.

    The templates

    Each template has subject lines, the body with placeholders, when to use it, why it works, three variants, common mistakes and a compliance note.

    The value proposition email

    Subject line options

    • {{problem}} at {{company}}
    • {{target_role_plural}} and {{problem}}
    • {{outcome}}?

    Email

    Hi {{first_name}}, We help {{target_role_plural}} at {{company_type}} stop {{problem}}, so they can {{outcome}}. Unlike {{main_alternative}}, we {{key_difference}}. If that's a problem at {{company}}, is it worth a 15-minute call? If not, a quick 'not us' is helpful too. {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    When to use it

    When you have a sharp value proposition for one segment and no specific trigger for the contact.

    Why it works

    It is the value proposition and nothing else, which makes it easy to judge in five seconds. Inviting 'not us' gives the wrong buyers an easy way out and keeps your list honest.

    Variants

    Short

    Hi {{first_name}}, We help {{target_role_plural}} stop {{problem}}. Problem at {{company}}? {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Formal

    Dear {{first_name}}, {{your_company}} helps {{target_role_plural}} at {{company_type}} address {{problem}}, enabling them to {{outcome}}. In contrast to {{main_alternative}}, we {{key_difference}}. Should this be relevant to {{company}}, I would welcome a brief conversation. Kind regards, {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Aussie-direct

    Hi {{first_name}}, Short version: we help {{target_role_plural}} stop {{problem}} so they can {{outcome}}. Unlike {{main_alternative}}, we {{key_difference}}. Is that you? If not, a quick 'not us' is all good. Cheers, {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Common mistakes

    • Listing three value propositions in one email.
    • Using a category word ('platform', 'solution') instead of the problem.

    Compliance note

    Claims about outcomes must be accurate. Misleading claims create consumer law risk on top of the Spam Act rules on consent, identification and unsubscribe.

    The value proposition question email

    Subject line options

    • is {{problem}} a problem?
    • {{company}}: {{problem}}?
    • question for {{target_role_plural}}

    Email

    Hi {{first_name}}, Most {{target_role_plural}} we speak with say {{problem}} is {{how_they_describe_it}}. We {{how_you_remove_pain}}, so teams {{gain}}. Is that true at {{company}}, or have you already solved it? {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    When to use it

    When you want to test which version of your value proposition resonates in a segment. Send it to a small batch and read the replies.

    Why it works

    Framing the value proposition as a question invites correction, and corrections tell you how buyers really describe the problem. Use their words in the next version.

    Variants

    Short

    Hi {{first_name}}, Is {{problem}} a headache at {{company}}, or already solved? {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Formal

    Dear {{first_name}}, Many {{target_role_plural}} describe {{problem}} as {{how_they_describe_it}}. {{your_company}} helps teams {{gain}} by {{how_you_remove_pain}}. I would be interested to know whether this reflects the situation at {{company}}. Kind regards, {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Aussie-direct

    Hi {{first_name}}, Most {{target_role_plural}} tell us {{problem}} is {{how_they_describe_it}}. We {{how_you_remove_pain}}. That you, or have you already cracked it? Cheers, {{signature}} {{opt_out}}

    Common mistakes

    • Treating every reply as a buying signal.
    • Not changing the wording after the replies tell you it is wrong.

    Compliance note

    Testing messages is still sending commercial email. Each address needs consent and each email needs identification and an opt-out.

    Spam Act checklist for every template

    Australian B2B email is legal and regulated by the Spam Act 2003. Before you send any template on this page, check these four things.

    Australian cold calling and Spam Act rules
    • Consent. You need express consent (they agreed) or inferred consent. For B2B, consent can be inferred where a work address is conspicuously published, the message is relevant to the person's role, and there is no statement that they do not want unsolicited messages.
    • Identification. Every message clearly identifies you and your business, with contact details that stay accurate for at least 30 days after you send it.
    • Unsubscribe. Every commercial message includes a working opt-out, which must be actioned within 5 working days and keep working for at least 30 days after sending.
    • No harvested lists. Do not use address-harvesting software or lists built with it. A bought list does not come with consent.

    Calls in the same cadence follow different rules: wash Australian numbers against the Do Not Call Register and call within permitted hours. New Zealand and Singapore recipients are covered by their own laws, summarised on the template library hub. This is general information, not legal advice. AU, NZ and Singapore rules

    FAQ

    Value proposition templates: questions

    Practical answers from SDR managers who run outbound every day.

    Still have questions?

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    A short statement of who you help, what problem you solve for them and what changes as a result, written in the buyer's words and specific enough that the wrong buyer can tell it is not for them.

    'We help {{target_role_plural}} at {{company_type}} stop {{problem}}, so they can {{outcome}}' is the simplest one that works in email and on calls. Add a difference line when buyers compare you with an alternative.

    Alexander Osterwalder, with Strategyzer. It was set out in the book Value Proposition Design, published in 2014.

    A fill-in statement from Crossing the Chasm (1991): for a target customer with a need, the product is a category that delivers a key benefit, unlike the main alternative.

    One or two sentences. If it needs a paragraph, it is trying to cover too many buyers or too many problems.

    On calls, buyers either recognise themselves or tell you clearly that it is not them. In email, replies mention the problem by name. Vague replies usually mean a vague value proposition.

    Related templates and guides

    Cold call script generator

    Turn the value prop into an opener

    How to build an ICP

    Decide who the value prop is for

    Best cold call opener

    Openers that earn the next minute

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