#234: Messaging | In this episode, Dave sits down with Emma Stratton, founder of Punchy, to break down what great B2B messaging actually looks like - and how to get it right. Emma has worked with hundreds of B2B tech companies to sharpen their positioning, eliminate vague copy, and train marketing teams to write with clarity and impact. They cover what makes messaging actually resonate and how to spot and fix abstract or weak copy. They also dive into Emma’s process for creating message-market fit, doing customer research, and working with execs and cross-functional teams.
And BONUS: they spend the last 20 minutes talking about personal development, productivity, journaling, and managing your mental energy to be a better marketer (and human).
Dave and Emma also cover:
- How to go from vague to punchy by writing with specificity and buyer empathy
- Why most B2B messaging falls flat and how to avoid the “sea of sameness”
- How to use customer interviews, sales calls, and concrete language to create strong messaging
- Why writing, meditation, and personal rituals are so important for creative energy
Timestamps
- (00:00) - – Intro to Emma
- (04:39) - – What makes B2B messaging actually good
- (08:21) - – Common messaging mistakes (and why "clarity > clever")
- (11:19) - – Positioning vs. messaging: what’s the difference?
- (15:32) - – Why it's hard to name great B2B marketing examples
- (17:56) - – How to sharpen weak messaging and fix vague positioning statements
- (21:04) - – Simplifying complex products without dumbing it down
- (26:30) - – How to write for buyers (not just execs)
- (30:02) - – Using customer interviews and research to build strong messaging
- (34:40) - – Standing out in a crowded, buzzword-filled market
- (37:24) - – How storytelling fits into B2B messaging
- (40:30) - – Messaging advice for early-stage founders and startups
- (43:45) - – How often should you revisit and update messaging?
- (45:55) - – Productivity, managing your energy, and staying focused
- (49:10) - – Journaling, mindfulness, and being intentional with your time
- (53:05) - – Final takeaways
Send guest pitches and ideas to hi@exitfive.com
Join the Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Check out the Exit Five job board: https://jobs.exitfive.com/
Become an Exit Five member: https://community.exitfive.com/checkout/exit-five-membership
***
Today’s episode is brought to you by Zuddl.
We’re halfway through 2025, and one thing’s clear: events continue to be one of the highest performing marketing channels. Niche meetups, conferences, curated dinners, networking - you name it. Everyone’s leaning in.
Events are a core part of our playbook this year at Exit Five. So far, we’ve hosted two virtual sessions each month, one large virtual event, one in-person meetup, and we’re deep in the weeds planning our Drive conference coming back to Vermont this September.
Zuddl helps us run a smarter event strategy - from driving registrations, managing invites, automating comms, reminders, analytics, tracking. Their Salesforce integration also makes it simple to report on pipeline and revenue from events without pulling in ops.
On top of that, the differentiator with Zuddl is how their team is insanely good at supporting us. They always go above and beyond for us - and that’s how we’ve been able to keep the momentum going with 12+ events already this year, with plenty more to come.
If events are part of your marketing strategy, you need to look at Zuddl to see how companies like Zillow, CrowdStrike, and Iterable are using the top event platform for Business events in 2025.
Head over to zuddl.com/exitfive to learn more.
