Positioning with April Dunford
Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. I’m April Dunford, the expert high-growth tech companies go to when they have a positioning problem. With over two decades of experience as a startup executive and consultant, I have positioned and re-positioned hundreds of products and companies. Using my battle-tested methodology, I'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance. If you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader who wants to stand out, this podcast is for you.
Episodes
Post Positioning - Testing and Execution
In today’s episode, I explore what should happen after a positioning exercise and why too many teams test positioning the wrong way. I explain why I prefer testing positioning through live sales conversations instead of homepage experiments, and I walk through the sales pitch structure I use to make that test meaningful. I also share how to turn positioning into a messaging document, how to keep t
New Thinking on Market Categories
In today’s episode, I explore why companies overcomplicate market categories, how starting with the wrong category leads to confusion, and what the job of a market category actually is. I break down how to align your category with your differentiated value so customers immediately understand what you do. You will also learn the three positioning strategies and how to choose the one that gives you
A New Chapter on Differentiated Value
In today’s episode, I explore why differentiated value is the most important—and most misunderstood—part of positioning. I explain why customers don’t really care that much about features, how to use the “so what?” question to uncover what truly matters, and why this step takes more time than any other in a positioning exercise. I also share how my thinking on value has evolved since the first edi
Competition in a Positioning Exercise
In today’s episode, I dive into why competitive alternatives—not problems or future visions—are the right place to start a positioning exercise. I explain how different teams inside a company misunderstand competition in predictable ways, and why positioning must focus only on who shows up on customer shortlists right now. I also share how my thinking on this step has evolved since the first editi
Preparing for a Positioning Exercise
In today’s episode, I dive into what needs to happen before you ever start a positioning exercise. I explain why positioning fails when teams skip preparation, ignore alignment, or try to make positioning work for every customer they’ve ever had. I also walk through how to assemble the right team, let go of outdated assumptions, and create shared language so positioning decisions actually stick.Yo
Decisions to Make Before a Positioning Exercise
In today’s episode, I dive into the decisions teams need to make before they ever start a positioning exercise. I explain why positioning readiness matters, how unlaunched products lead to positioning theses rather than true positioning, and why clarity around audience, scope, and personas is essential. Also, this episode sets the foundation for a new mini-series tied to the second edition of my b
Positioning, Value, and Objection Handling
In today’s episode, I explore the crucial distinction between positioning your product’s value and handling objections. I explain why understanding the buyer personas in a B2B deal is essential to tailor messaging for champions versus other stakeholders. I also highlight scenarios where objection handling can transform into a core value driver under certain market conditions. You will learn:&
How to Turn a Competitor's Strength into a Weakness
In today’s episode, I dive into the art of transforming competitor strengths into weaknesses, a practice which I sometimes call “marketing jiu-jitsu.” You will learn: * How competitor strengths can double as weaknesses in different markets.* Opportunities for challenger brands to carve out niche markets.* The differences between platform and tool positioning and their respective advantag
How to Position Against a Competitor Who Lies
In today’s episode, I explore the frustrating yet common issue of competitors making false or exaggerated claims about their products. In this episode, I answer the question: When you want to discuss your differentiated product or service, what do you do if you’ve got a competitor who lies that they too have the same product or service, when in fact they don’t? You will learn: * The
Getting to the Root of the "We Have No Differentiation" Problem
In today’s episode, I explore product differentiation and the common misconception that some products have no unique value. I also explore the potential root causes when companies fail to see their own differentiation. You will learn: * The myth of having no product differentiation and what it means for B2B technology companies.* The importance of understanding competitive alternatives a
Customer-Led Growth: Why Funnels are Outdated with Georgiana Laudi
In today’s episode, Georgiana Laudi and I explore the failings of traditional sales funnels and why companies should instead focus on a customer-led approach to growth.My guest, Georgiana Laudi, is the ultimate marketing guru with a passion for turning customer value into cash for SaaS companies. She helps SaaS leaders grow smarter through her consultancy, Forget the Funnel. You will learn:&n
How to Frame a Sales Conversation
In today’s episode, I dive into the art of framing a sales conversation. I explore three common ways salespeople start their pitches and analyze the strengths and weaknesses of each. By the end, I share my preferred approach to leading with a unique insight, helping you differentiate your sales pitch from the competition.You will learn: * Three common ways to open a sales pitch: defining the
From Michelin Stars to Marketing Stars: Product Marketing Lessons from Tamara Grominsky
In today’s episode, I speak with product marketing expert and consultant Tamara Grominsky, who is the former Vice President of Product Marketing at Kajabi and Unbounce. Have you ever asked questions such as: “How do I hire a good product marketer? What skills should they have? And how should we measure product marketing?” In this episode, Tamara and I answer those questions and more.You will
Harnessing the Power of Differentiated Value: How To Win Over Customers and Outperform Competitors
Today’s episode is a repost of one of my favorite topics: why value is important for positioning for B2B technology companies. In this episode, first I define value vs. differentiated value, and explain why the latter is key to everything. Next I explore how to find the right balance between features and value, and I share tips on mastering your product walkthrough and proving your claims to
Mastering Messaging for B2B Tech with Emma Stratton
In today’s episode, my guest and I explore the intricate relationship between positioning, messaging, and copywriting for B2B tech companies. I’m joined by Emma Stratton, the founder of a consulting firm that helps-growing B2B tech companies win on positioning and messaging. You will learn: * How B2B and B2C are different and each comes with their own unique challenges and opportunities.
Rethinking Marketing and Storytelling with Martina Lauchengco
In today’s episode, I explore gathering product market insights directly from customers and crafting effective product marketing strategies with Martina Lauchengco, a partner, teacher, author, speaker, mom, and native Californian. You will learn: * How a VP of Marketing required team members to talk to two customers every week.* Observing customers in the field to deepen your knowledge about how t
Rethinking Sales Strategies for Modern Markets with Loren Padelford
In today’s episode, I discuss how sales and marketing interact with Loren Padelford, a sales, marketing, cashflow, and revenue expert. You will learn: * The limitations of the predictable revenue playbook and alternative approaches.* How Salesforce pioneered cloud-based software and introduced a new way of thinking about how software gets delivered and sold.* How the rise of ad networks and digita
A Buyer-Centric Approach to Competitive Positioning
In today’s episode, I explore the different types of competitors you face and how you can position yourself against each of them. You will learn: * How different departments or groups in a company (e.g. sales, product development, etc.) view and define competitors differently. * The 3 types of competitors: (1) status quo competitors, (2) direct competitors, and (3) “do nothing” competitors.* Posit
Arming Sales Teams To Win in the Market, with Brent Adamson
In today’s episode, Brent Adamson and I explore what works and what doesn't work on sales teams, and Brent’s ideas for how we should arm sales teams to go out and win in the market. My guest today is Brent Adamson, a researcher, author, presenter, and thinker with a passion for “productive disruption.”You will learn: * The origins of the Challenger Sale concept and how the term "challeng
The Role of Market Category in Differentiation
In today’s episode, I explore why market category is a good starting point for developing great positioning. You will learn: * Viewing your market category is context-setting for your products/company. * Thinking of your market category as being similar to the opening scene of a movie. (See link below for my article about this idea, which includes the opening scene of the movie Baby
Postman's Positioning Journey: 500K Customers & $5.6 Billion Valuation with Abhinav Asthana
In today’s episode, I talk with a technology entrepreneur about lessons related to his product initially being mispositioned in the market and also the challenges of positioning both free and paid versions of software solutions. Joining me is Abhinav Asthana, founder and CEO of Postman, an API platform for software developers to build and use APIs.In today’s episode: * How Postman's posi
Why Positioning Does Not Make the Jump From Marketing to Sales
Welcome to Season 2! In today’s episode, I explore why positioning fails to make the jump from marketing to sales in many companies, and what common misconceptions and mistakes in positioning work should be avoided.You will learn: * Why sales teams often lack a deep understanding of positioning and its importance in the sales process.* Communicating value and positioning product consistently
A Marketers Guide To Using The Sales Pitch
Today, I’m going to discuss how to have consistent positioning and messaging across sales and marketing using tactics from my book Sales Pitch. You will learn:
Why marketers at B2B companies should start with the sales pitch first
An overview of buyer’s guides and the components of the best ones
How to create an explainer video using the sales pitch structure
Why all content should target
Mastering Strategy, Vision, and Positioning
It's frustrating to see the widespread misuse of business terminology in the corporate world. Terms such as strategy, positioning, and vision are frequently interchanged or confused. Today, I'll clarify these terms, discussing when and how to use them. I’ll share with you:
The difference between strategy, vision, and positioning
Pitching to investors vs. pitching to potential customers
Using Trends To Enhance Your Positioning
Every business wants to cash in on the latest trend, and for good reason. Trends can be powerful tools to enhance your positioning. However, it's crucial to recognize that not all trends are a universal fit for every company. Blindly adopting trends without thoughtful messaging can lead to disastrous outcomes for your business.
Today, I’m diving deep into the world of trends. You’ll learn the
How To Think About Competition
Today, I will talk about how to address your competition, which is commonly mismanaged. Once again, you’ll see it all comes back to positioning and differentiated value. I’ll share with you:
Why it’s almost always a bad idea to name the competition when you’re the market leader
Real-life examples of companies naming their competitors
The benefit you gain from naming and positioning your compe
How to Manage a Big Positioning Change
I get asked a lot by people about today’s topic on how to manage a positioning change within an organization. It applies to big and small companies and even those going through acquisitions.
In today’s episode, I cover:
The times when your positioning might change
How to figure out the frequency of assessing your positioning
The complexities of changing your positioning after an acquisition
Bruno Aziza (Google, CapitalG) Shares How He Helped Reach Scale At Startups and Big Tech
Today, I’m joined by Bruno Aziza, who has an incredible background in data and technology and is a dear friend of mine. He has held previous positions at Google, Oracle, Microsoft, and AtScale. He’s currently a Partner at CapitalG, which is Alphabet's independent growth fund.
In today’s episode, we cover:
The importance of starting with first principles. This means defining your set of belie
Master the Art of Selling With My New Book
My next book, Sales Pitch, is finally out! I’ve been working on this project for quite some time now and am beyond excited to share it with you all!
If you’d like to support me and purchase the book, visit https://www.aprildunford.com/books to learn more. I’ve also included a free workbook on that page as well.
Since my book came out this week, I figured today’s episode should be about why I wrot
How to Create Marketing and Sales Alignment
Today, I go deep on how to approach aligning your marketing and sales teams. It’s a topic I repeatedly hear most companies struggling with, and I’m excited to discuss the following:
The definition of what a good lead is
How to get marketing and sales to collaborate on a sales pitch
The importance of incorporating a sales pitch testing protocol
Why you need structure to bring together mark
Mapping Positioning to a Story Using Insight
Today, I explore how to position your sales pitch storytelling arch. You’ll learn:
What people get wrong when starting their sales pitch
How not to start a sales pitch
Why you should start your sales pitch with an insight that is unique to your company
How to structure your sales pitch storytelling arch
Don’t forget you can now pre-order my next book, Sales Pitch, on Amazon! If you’ve enj
How to Use Positioning in Sales Qualification and Discovery
Today, I share everything you need to know about how to use positioning in your sales qualification and discovery. I discuss:
The different forms of qualification and BANT criteria
The difference between qualification and discovery
Why discovery is so important for your first sales call
How buyers and sellers find out more about each other during discovery
My unique sales pitch structure
Positioning at a Startup Vs. a Big Company
Today’s episode is all about how to position startups and big companies. While there is some overlap, the two can be very different. I cover a lot of ground, including:
The three things startups need to focus on for positioning
Why half of B2B purchase decisions end in no decision
How not to mistake marketing problems as positioning problems
Determining when a positioning shift is needed f
Mastering Jobs Theory With Bob Moesta
Today I’m joined by Bob Moesta, the co-creator of the Jobs To Be Done framework, a concept he developed alongside the late Clayton Christensen. Bob's expertise spans a wide range of accomplishments, including the successful launch of over 3,500 new products, services, and businesses. He's also the CEO and founder of the Re-Wired Group, as well as the brains behind several other startup ven
How To Avoid Bad Marketing and Sales
Today I dive deep into how to avoid bad marketing and sales and why sometimes this includes actively sharing who your product isn’t for. I go into greater detail about the following:
Understanding that your product is only a part of your business
How to craft great marketing and sales
Why a formal positioning process impacts your sales and marketing strategy
The core of sales and marketing
The Art of Discerning Sound Marketing and Sales Advice
Today I cover how to know if you're getting good marketing and sales advice, and why it’s so important to carve your own path. I discuss:
• What I learned from traditional marketing advice
• Why traditional marketing advice falls short
• The story of how a fax machine campaign became my best-performing initiative
• Why you should not blindly follow popular marketing trends
• The importance o
How To Develop A Point of View For Your Company
Today I explore developing a point of view for your business. I cover:
How to build your company’s points of view
What to do if you don’t know your point of view
Two examples from IBM and Sampler
Why features don’t matter, value does
How to apply this to your sales and marketing
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If you want to skip ahead:
(00:00) How to develop a point of view for your business
(03:07) How Sampler built
So you’ve nailed your product positioning. Now what?
Today I dive into what to do with your positioning once you’ve nailed it. I cover:
• How to capture positioning
• How positioning makes its way into messaging
• Why you should create a messaging document and what ends up happening if you don’t
• What the market needs in order to understand our differentiated value
• How to go from positioning to branding
• How to take boilerplate messaging and app
Help Scout's CEO Nick Francis Shares the Evolution of Their Positioning
I sat down with Nick Francis, the Co-Founder and CEO of Help Scout. A few years ago I worked directly with Nick and his team to tighten up their positioning and brought him on to share their story. Together we discuss:
• What the positioning of Help Scout looked like during the early days
• How their positioning evolved over time
• Why they utilized outside help
• How he took the sales narrative
Crafting a Persuasive Sales Pitch (Part 2)
Today we continue our conversation on translating your positioning into a sales pitch. You’ll learn:
• Popular pitch structures (discovery-led, problem-solution, venture-informed) and where they fall short
• Common problems to avoid when crafting your sales pitch
• Why the “new way” doesn’t necessarily beat the “old way”
• How focusing on the future of your product can backfire
• What convention
How To Translate Your Positioning into a Persuasive Sales Narrative (Part 1)
In this episode, I talk about how to take your positioning and translate it into a powerful sales narrative. I cover the importance of testing your positioning and explain why it often fails to make the leap from marketing to sales. I analyze the software transaction process from the buyer's perspective and dive deep into the challenges buyers face when they encounter unfamiliar products. I al
Overcoming Customer Indecision and Challenging Conventional Sales Wisdom with Matt Dixon
Today I’m joined by renowned author and guest, Matt Dixon. We explore the concepts from his groundbreaking book, "The JOLT Effect," and uncover the secrets to winning deals and captivating customers. Matt shares how extensive research debunked a myriad of popular sales techniques, including dialing up FOMO and letting the customer do the talking. We talk about how downplaying impact can
Harnessing the Power of Differentiated Value: How To Win Over Customers and Outperform Competitors
In this episode, I go deep on one of my favorite topics: value. First, I’ll define value vs. differentiated value, and explain why the latter is key to everything. We'll explore how to find the right balance between features and value, and I'll share tips on mastering your product walkthrough and proving your claims to customers. I also cover common mistakes to avoid when segmenting your a
How Shopify Moved Upmarket And Unlocked Billions In Growth — Hana Abaza
Today I’m joined by Hana Abaza, an experienced SaaS Marketer. Most recently, Hana served as Shopify’s Global Head of Revenue Marketing where she helped them reach billions of dollars in revenue. In today’s episode, we discuss how Shopify successfully moved upmarket as they introduced Shopify Plus. We explore the competitive alternatives they faced, how they differentiated their offerings, and the
Single-Product vs. Multi-Product Positioning: A Comprehensive Guide
Today’s episode is absolutely loaded with information. I cover the challenge of positioning for a single-product company compared to a multi-product company and share two specific examples on the topic. I also discuss how to handle positioning for segments, what happens when you have multiple segments to target, and the importance of your positioning resonating with your target champion.
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In Th
Understanding the Distinction Between Competitors and Competing Alternatives (And Why It Matters)
In today’s episode, you’ll learn why understanding your competition is critical for positioning and how many people get it wrong. I share a story about the deceptive nature of data and why you need to carefully evaluate bad-fit customers. I talk about how to discover your true competitors and recount a story of a failed sales pitch that taught me the importance of clearly understanding your value
From Cold Calls To Positioning Expert: The Story Of How I Got Here
Join me for our first episode, where I share how a simple shift in positioning saved a product from failure, igniting my passion for positioning. I’ll explore Clayton Christensen's Jobs To Be Done Framework and how it revolutionized my approach. I'll walk you through my 5-step methodology and outline exactly how I got here. I'll also reveal why the methodology alone isn't enough to
Welcome to the Positioning Show
Welcome to The Positioning Show with me, your host, April Dunford. I am the best-selling author of Obviously Awesome and a seasoned marketing professional who has worked with over 100 companies to help nail their positioning. This show is the ultimate guide to understanding and implementing effective positioning strategies. Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking to make your product stand out
