The Marchitect

S3 Episode 7: Transform Your Sales Pitch in 8 Steps with April Dunford

Oct 12, 2023

April Dunford, best-selling author and Queen of Positioning, shares the importance of positioning and sales pitch in B2B companies. She discusses the correlation between positioning and the components of a sales pitch, and emphasizes the need for market insights and differentiated value. The podcast also introduces a new book by April Dunford and announces a new podcast called Positioning with April Dunford.

51:59

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Episode guests

April Dunford

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Positioning and sales pitch are crucial tools to help buyers confidently make purchase decisions in the B2B landscape.

A well-crafted sales pitch should reflect the positioning and highlight the unique value offered, addressing buyer concerns and objections.

A strong positioning strategy consists of identifying competitors, highlighting unique differentiation, defining value, specifying ideal target customers, and determining market category.

Deep dives

Importance of Positioning and Sales Pitch

Positioning and sales pitch are crucial tools to help buyers confidently make purchase decisions, particularly in the challenging B2B landscape. 40-60% of B2B software purchases end in no decision, highlighting the need for clear decision-making processes. Positioning plays a vital role in B2B companies by providing focus and avoiding waste. However, strong positioning alone is not enough. A well-crafted sales pitch is necessary for driving growth efficiency. The sales pitch should reflect the positioning and highlight the unique value offered. Sales pitches with a well-defined structure are more effective at addressing buyer concerns and objections. By aligning the market insight, pros and cons of alternative approaches, perfect world scenario, differentiated value, proof, objection handling, and next steps, companies can deliver a compelling sales pitch that resonates with buyers and drives better results.

Introduction

2min

Positioning, Sales Pitch, and the Importance of Alignment

24min

Transforming Sales Pitch for Commerce Businesses

2min

Delivering an Amazing Customer Experience in Sales

11min

Positioning and Differentiated Value in Sales Pitch

4min

Mapping Proof and Addressing Objections in the Sales Pitch

6min

Announcing a New Book, Podcast, and Pre-orders

2min

Did you know that 40-60% of B2B software purchases end in no decision?

Oftentimes, buyers let the deal go because they can't figure out how to confidently make a decision—they’re more worried about messing up than they are about missing out. And we can do better.

Enter April Dunford, best-selling author, founder at Ambient Strategies, and Queen of Positioning sits down with our host, Rowan Noronha to to recap her core tenets of successful positioning and share tangible insights from her latest book, Sales Pitch.

April shares how well-defined positioning can be a powerful efficiency tool for B2B companies because positioning means focus, and focus avoids waste. But positioning alone is not going to ensure your success in 2023 and beyond. You need a second tool to drive growth efficiency—a sales pitch. If positioning is your tool for efficient acquisition and go-to-market, a sales pitch is your tool to drive velocity. April masterfully shares how to transform your positioning into a sales pitch guaranteed to put your best foot forward.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

The 5 key components of positioning and how they correlate to your sales pitch.
How to craft a successful sales pitch (based on your positioning) in 8 steps.
Why you should always start your sales pitch with your insight into the market.

Jump into the conversation:

(01:00) Why Do We Need Better Positioning?

(06:30) 5 Key Components of Positioning

(13:00) Creating a Sales Pitch Based on Insight & Value

(20:00) 8 Components of A Successful Sales Pitch

(45:000 How to Test Your New Sales Pitch

So join us as April Dunford shares her insights on developing a well-structured sales pitch that aligns with the company's positioning, testing and iterating the pitch, and achieving alignment between marketing and sales. A must-listen for product marketers and B2B CMOs looking to improve their positioning and sales strategies.

Connect with April: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/

Order her book, Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Pitch-Craft-Story-Stand/dp/1999023021/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1BBS4444TKYE9&keywords=april+dunford&qid=1695046839&sprefix=april+dunford%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-1

Connect with Rowan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rowan-noronha/

Product Marketing Community: https://www.productmarketingcommunity.co/

Presented by Pavillion https://www.joinpavilion.com/

Produced by Share Your Genius https://www.shareyourgenius.com/