Q&A: Category vs. Replacing Alternatives

#300 Drive | This episode is from Drive 2025, our 2-day in-person event for B2B marketers in Burlington, VT. It features Diane Wiredu, Founder of Lion Words and expert in B2B messaging and positioning. She shared a killer talk on “What Your Messaging Is Missing,” breaking down why most B2B copy sounds the same and how to close the meaning gap by focusing on clarity, balance, and buyer context.

Head over to exitfive.com/drive to join the waitlist for Drive 2026 and be the first to know when tickets go on sale.

Timestamps

• (00:00) - – Intro from Dave
• (02:52) - – What “message-market fit” actually means
• (05:22) - – Why most B2B messaging misses
• (09:27) - – The “meaning gap” and why it happens
• (14:12) - – Balancing clarity, emotion, and differentiation
• (19:37) - – How to simplify complex products
• (26:33) - – Examples of messaging that actually resonates
• (32:03) - – How to pressure-test your messaging
• (38:18) - – Aligning teams around a clear message
• (44:03) - – Turning insights into copy that converts
• (49:13) - – Q&A: internal buy-in, testing, next steps

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