Why Differentiation Is Hard in B2B

#295 Messaging | Dave is joined by Emma Stratton, founder of Punchy, where she helps B2B tech companies sharpen their positioning and write messaging that actually connects. Emma’s worked with hundreds of teams to cut through vague, abstract copy and turn it into language buyers instantly get.

Dave and Emma cover:

• How to go from vague to punchy using specificity and buyer empathy
• Why most B2B messaging blends into the “sea of sameness” (and how to stand out)
• How customer research and real conversations create message–market fit

They wrap with a candid chat on journaling, focus, and how managing your mental energy can make you a better marketer and human.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - – Intro to Emma
• (04:13) - – What makes B2B messaging actually good
• (07:55) - – Common messaging mistakes (and why “clarity > clever”)
• (10:53) - – Positioning vs. messaging: what’s the difference?
• (15:06) - – Why it’s hard to name great B2B marketing examples
• (17:30) - – How to sharpen weak messaging and fix vague positioning statements
• (20:38) - – Simplifying complex products without dumbing it down
• (23:48) - – How to write for buyers (not just execs)
• (28:32) - – Using customer interviews and research to build strong messaging
• (33:10) - – Standing out in a crowded, buzzword-filled market
• (35:54) - – How storytelling fits into B2B messaging
• (39:00) - – Messaging advice for early-stage founders and startups
• (42:15) - – How often should you revisit and update messaging?
• (44:25) - – Productivity, managing your energy, and staying focused
• (47:40) - – Journaling, mindfulness, and being intentional with your time
• (51:35) - – Final takeaways

Join 50,0000 people who get our Exit Five Newsletter here: https://www.exitfive.com/newsletter
Learn more about Exit Five's private marketing community: https://www.exitfive.com/

***

Today's episode is brought to you by Knak.

Email (in my humble opinion) is the still the greatest marketing channel of all-time.

It’s the only way you can truly “own” your audience.

But when it comes to building the emails - if you’ve ever tried building an email in an enterprise marketing automation platform, you know how painful it can be. Templates are too rigid, editing code can break things and the whole process just takes forever. 

That’s why we love Knak here at Exit Five. Knak a no-code email platform that makes it easy to create on-brand, high-performing emails - without the bottlenecks.

• Frustrated by clunky email builders? You need Knak.
• Tired of ‘hoping’ the email you sent looks good across all devices? Just test in Knak first.
• Big team making it hard to collaborate and get approvals? Definitely Knak.

And the best part? Everything takes a fraction of the time.

See Knak in action at knak.com/exit-five. Or just let them know you heard about Knak on Exit Five.

***

Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.

• They give you unlimited podcast editing and strategy for your B2B podcast.
• Get unlimited podcast editing and on-demand strategy for one low monthly cost. Just upload your episode, and they take care of the rest.
• Visit hatch.fm to learn more