Do you think SaaS companies should prioritize specific value propositions over high-level messaging, and if so, how can large, multifaceted companies achieve that level of clarity?

Generally, I agree with Anthony that if SAAS companies are looking to differentiate, a specific, clear value proposition is the way to go - but there are some caveats to consider.  

About a year ago, our then-CEO asked my team to refresh our messaging because all of our competitors were claiming their products drove the same outcomes that as us - things a sales leader would care about like revenue, deal velocity and and win rate. We were tasked with finding a way to differentiate. 

Anthony has posted an infographic on Linkedin that speaks to the root cause of this problem. Take any software product - a CRM, billing software, project management software - and extrapolate any of the benefits out multiple degrees and you will find a way to connect it to revenue.  However, that initial delivery of value - what Anthony calls a “first-order benefit” - is the most precise articulation of your value proposition, and it’s likely your most unique value proposition that will differentiate you from the competition. 

To identify our differentiated value, we talked to anyone we could who was our target persona for buying and using Outreach—customers, prospects, and friends. We wanted to reset our expectations around their awareness of Outreach, usage of Outreach, and the value they gleaned from it. We also spoke with our Product, Sales, CS, and Executive teams to get their perspective.

We developed a messaging framework that breaks our platform into use cases and value statements specific to each persona. This messaging has consistently converted qualified leads on our homepage compared to legacy generic messaging emphasizing high-level outcomes like Revenue or product functionality like AI.

So yes, being clear and specific is better than being high-level, but that doesn’t mean PMMs can completely ignore metrics like revenue and ROI. Above-the-line buyers care about these metrics during an evaluation, so there’s an expectation they show up in your company’s marketing. Product Marketers just have to know when and where to deploy them effectively. The critical piece to remember is that your home page is the top of your funnel - it’s where you need to stand out from the crowd and answer the question, “What does your product do, and how does it help me do something better/faster/cheaper?”  You need to make that case to someone likely starting an evaluation but not the final decision maker.  They may or may not use the product themselves, but they have outcomes they care about that are broader than an individual user (Usability, Individual Features) but not as macro as the C-suite’s.

That said, if you are selling SAAS, especially to the enterprise, your sales team will have to make a business case to win a competitive sale, secure a contentious renewal, or cross-sell into different departments.  That means that PMMs need to be able to connect your product's value to metrics that matter to your above-the-line decision makers, which are likely revenue or cost-savings.  PMMs should be prepared to work with the sales team on bottom-funnel assets like business value calculators, buyer's guides, and proposal decks that speak the decision maker’s language and help the sales team talk to these metrics when appropriate and necessary to win the deal.