--- title: Creating collective value through customised value description: Bob Apollo of Inflexion-Point, the B2B outcome-centric selling experts, promotes creating collective customer value through customised stakeholder value image: https://www.inflexion-point.com/hubfs/Umbrella.png --- This is a search field with an autosuggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. # Creating collective value through customised value ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) December 11, 2020 ![Creating collective value through customised value](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hubfs/Umbrella.png) ![Umbrella](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Umbrella.png?width=280&name=Umbrella.png)I recently [made what I hope was a compelling case](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/whats-your-customers-unique-value-story) for creating a customer-specific unique value story for every significant customer opportunity. I now want to turn my attention to a critical complement to every such value story: making explicit connections between collective organisational and customised stakeholder value. This involves creating an “umbrella” value story that explains why it is in the organisation’s interest to act and aligning this overall story with more tailored value stories for each of the key interested parties. In this way, we can clearly articulate “what’s in it for you?” for the whole organisation, for key functions and for key stakeholders - and establish the essential connections between them. Let me first remind you of the three key questions that underpin each customer’s unique value story: - Why do they need to change at all, *rather than stick with the status quo*? - Why should they choose you, *rather than any of their other options*? - Why do they need to act now, *rather than later*? The “why should they choose you” layer incorporates the unique advantages you offer to their organisation as a whole, to key functions or departments, and to key members of the stakeholder community, but it’s often worth expanding on this section. Having clear and validated stories in these areas will significantly strengthen your proposal and your chances of winning their business. #### **Layered benefits** This often ends up being something of an iterative process. It’s best to start by seeking to establish, articulate and test the key value and benefits to the department that will most benefit from your solution to their current business challenge (often the one championing the project). Your thoughts should then turn upwards to the high-level value and benefits of your approach and your solution to the organisation as a whole. You can then turn your attention sideways to the specific value and benefits of your solution and approach to the other key functional departments. At minimum, these functions will typically include Finance, IT and procurement, as well as other involved or affected functions. If there are other key stakeholders not covered by the above, these must also be woven into the fabric of your story. Rather than a collection of isolated individual reasons to buy, these must be connected, with the organisation-wide story acting as the umbrella or the hub for the remaining stories. #### **The power of contrast** One of the best ways of dramatising each story is to contrast “a day in the life” before and after the successful implementation of your solution. The first relates to their current situation - or more powerfully, where they will end up if they continue on their current path. The latter relates to the better future outcomes they will achieve if they implement your recommendations. The stronger the credible contrast between these extremes for each of the organisational, departmental and individual stakeholders, the stronger the case for change and the more likely your project will be accepted. If you’re only appealing to one of these constituencies and fail to align them all behind a common cause, your chances of winning will be very much diminished. That’s how you can systematically create stronger collective customer value by also paying attention to customised stakeholder value! By the way, [here's the original article](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/whats-your-customers-unique-value-story)... ### About the Author [![bob_apollo-online-1](https://www.inflexion-point.com/hs-fs/hubfs/social-suggested-images/bob_apollo-online-1.jpg?width=300&name=bob_apollo-online-1.jpg)](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo)**[Bob Apollo](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo)** is a Fellow of the **[Association of Professional Sales](https://associationofprofessionalsales.com)**, a founding contributor to the **[International Journal of Sales Transformation](https://www.journalofsalestransformation.com)**, a recognised [Sales Futurist](https://thesalesfuturists.com/the-sales-futurists/), an active member of the **[Sales Experts Channel](http://thesalesexpertschannel.com/)**, and the driving force behind **[Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners](https://www.inflexion-point.com/)**, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. ###### Tags: [Outcome-Centric Selling, ](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/outcome-centric-selling) [Value Story](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/topic/value-story) ![Bob Apollo](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/78fa41976d534cacbb0e22e151bc6816) Post by [Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo) December 11, 2020 Bob Apollo is a Fellow of the Institute of Sales Professionals, a regular contributor to the International Journal of Sales Transformation and Top Sales World Magazine, and the driving force behind Inflexion-Point Strategy Partners, the leading proponents of outcome-centric selling. Following a successful corporate career spanning start-ups, scale-ups and market leaders, Bob now works as a strategic advisor, mentor, trainer and coach to ambitious B2B sales organisations - teaching them how to differentiate themselves through their provably superior approach to achieving their customer's desired outcomes. [Follow me on my website](https://www.inflexion-point.com) [Follow me on LinkedIn ](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/bobapollo) [Follow me on Twitter ](https://twitter.com/bobapollo) ### Comments ###### Related Articles ### [The four pillars of a powerful customer value proposition](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/the-four-pillars-of-a-powerful-customer-value-proposition) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Mar 08, 2023** The following article was first published in the March 2023 edition of the always-excellent Top Sales Magazine - there's a ... ### [The changing face of value in B2B sales](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/the-changing-face-of-value-in-b2b-sales) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **May 24, 2022** It's been a while since my last blog, but I'm pleased to be returning to the action with an article that I wrote for the ... ### [What’s your customer’s unique value story?](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/whats-your-customers-unique-value-story) Posted by **[Bob Apollo](https://www.inflexion-point.com/blog/author/bob-apollo),** **Nov 10, 2020** Generic value propositions, although they might be of some use in persuading potential prospects to make initial contact ... 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