Winning Sales Pitches: April Dunford Unleashes the Power of Positioning

Protect the Hustle | A SaaS Podcast

Today's guest is April Dunford, founder of Ambient Strategy and author of the essential positioning book Obviously Awesome. April's an expert on positioning, including what it is, what people get wrong with it, and what they need to get right with it. She's currently working on her second book focused on teaching teams the structure and processes she's been using to build sales pitches for the past couple of decades with hundreds of tech companies. This interview, recorded at SaaStock 2022 with Patrick Campbell, gives you a sneak peak into a masterclass on sales pitches conducted by April Dunford.

High Level Overview:

• Positioning is crucial in B2B sales as it helps potential customers understand the value of your offering and how it stands out from competitors. Effective positioning can significantly improve sales performance.
• Personalized and targeted messaging is essential to engage potential customers, and leveraging data-driven insights can help create a compelling narrative that resonates with them.
• Testing new positioning with top sales representatives and partners is necessary to validate its effectiveness and ensure better sales outcomes.
• Explainer videos, buyer's guides, blog posts, and graphical representations are some marketing collateral that can be used to convey the positioning to customers, aiding their understanding of the market and product.
• Companies should be creative and focus on helping customers understand the market and the unique value proposition of their product, which can drive sales and customer engagement.

A Crash Course on Crushing Your Sales Pitch:

A good sales pitch is a concise, persuasive, and tailored presentation that effectively communicates the unique value proposition of your product or service, addressing the specific needs and challenges of your target audience. The ultimate goal is to capture their attention and convince them that your solution is the best choice to alleviate their pain points. Consider the following points:

• Understand your target audience: April stresses the importance of knowing the context of your audience, their needs, and their pain points to make your pitch more relevant and persuasive.
• Develop a strong positioning: April believes that positioning is the foundation of a successful sales pitch. Craft a unique value proposition by emphasizing what sets your product apart from competitors and how it addresses your audience's specific needs.
• Use storytelling techniques: April shares her experience of using storytelling in a sales pitch, making it more engaging and memorable. Incorporate relatable stories that demonstrate how your product or service has helped others and create an emotional connection with your audience.
• Be concise and clear: April highlights the importance of clarity and brevity in a sales pitch. Focus on delivering your key messages in a succinct manner, avoiding jargon and complex language that could confuse your audience.
• Tailor the pitch to different customer segments: Adapt your messaging, examples, and value proposition to cater to the unique requirements of each audience segment. April advises being flexible with your pitch and adjusting it to different contexts to maximize its effectiveness.
• Practice and refine your pitch: Continuously iterate and improve your sales pitch based on feedback and market trends, ensuring it remains relevant and impactful. April underscores the importance of learning from your experiences and refining your pitch to achieve better results.

Further Learnings

April wrote the book on positioning. Check it out here.

Follow April on LinkedIn and Twitter.