To some, "value" is an exaggerated and over-used term. To others, it's a sacred word.

Restoring the concept of value to its true meaning requires clear definition and measurement. Furthermore, taking the time and effort to prove value sets is at the heart of business relationships and buying decisions. In the process of proving value, the information gained becomes real power.

We at Rust-Oleum recognize the advantage this approach brings to the connections between our distributors and ourselves, and between our distributors and their customers. Our marketing program formally lays out steps to prove value rather than to simply claim it. Separate steps have been taken to link everyone in the supply chain, from manufacturer to customer. Based on the responses from everyone involved, the time and effort in proving value has been well worth it.

First, make the user receptive to the notion that a product offers value and devote considerable attention to position and protection of the brand name. Doing it right means doing it continuously. Companies with multiple product lines must devote attention to all of them, reinforced with a "good, better, best" strategy to differentiate each one.

Once a distributor and manufacturer work to cover all price points, the selling team must emphasize the additional value of their products versus the competition. This is increasingly important when the market has difficulty separating one brand and distinguishing product qualities in dollars and cents terms.

Simple tools can aid those at the sales front-line, such as a formatted and in-depth guide, comparing price points against the competition's to catch the customer's interest and to provide an apples-to-apples comparison.

Through a new tool developed by our company and implemented by our distributors we now document specific cost savings to end-users. Our customized Documented Annual Cost Savings program lays out the information in a simple worksheet that defines value in convincing economic terms. It presents a compelling case for why a prospective customer should use one brand over another.

To create a solid case, a Documented Annual Cost Savings report plugs in the numbers that apply to a specific customer, referencing the costs and qualities of the competitive product. Factors such as square footage of coverage, labor cost and product life work into the calculations.

The report demonstrates how a set amount of a product at a specific cost, compared to the competitor's product, can save the customer money and justify switching brands. This analysis can even surmount a comparable or even higher cost difference by working in issues such as durability and ease of use.

This approach focuses the end user and distributor on the cost savings and specific value-added services, giving the distributor the ammunition to more convincingly present additional benefits of the product.

The scenario is ideal for distributors who have established a formal program of cost reduction with their customers. Using this tool, the manufacturer and distributor look at the business in the way the customer measures the distributor.

What makes this service so convincing is the commitment dedicated to cost savings. What makes this partnership possible is the confidence the distributor and manufacturer have in each other, built through attentive brand development and cemented in hard dollars and cents.

With this approach, value really means something.