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.
* Positioning yourself against status quo competitors requires nailing your value versus the status quo, and understanding a customer’s pain of changing from the status quo over to you.
* Positing yourself against direct competitors entails leaning into your differentiated value, as compared to your competition.
* Positioning yourself against “do nothing” competitors involves understanding why customers evaluated you and your competitors, yet became indecisive and didn’t pick any solution/product/service.
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If you want to skip ahead:
(4:36) Positioning against competitors in B2B sales.
(9:59) Winning strategies for B2B sales, including disqualifying unqualified leads and addressing indecision in purchasing decisions.
(14:45) Handling objections, increasing confidence in purchase decisions, and educating customers on trade-offs.
(19:56) Ways to reduce customer indecision in sales deals.
(24:53) Sales strategies for tech companies, focusing on positioning, best-fit customers, and risk mitigation.
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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
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Mentioned in this episode:
* April Dunford’s article/newsletter about this topic: https://aprildunford.substack.com/p/a-buyer-centric-approach-to-competitive
* To get the free templates related to April Dunford’s two books, go to https://www.aprildunford.com/books and sign up for the newsletter; then you’ll receive an email to download the free templates.
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Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”
“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
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The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4aqyDqI
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow
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This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.SuccessWithStories.com
