Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch)

Oct 22, 2023

April Dunford, best-selling author and VP of Marketing, dives into effective sales pitching strategies with rich insights from her books. She explores the importance of storytelling in pitches, emphasizing how to connect with customer pain points. April reveals a structured framework for crafting pitches that stand out and successfully navigate buyer indecision. Listeners learn to combat objections, the value of collaboration between teams, and why avoiding FOMO in sales is crucial for success. A wealth of practical tips awaits!

01:30:52

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Episode guests

April Dunford

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Crafting a compelling sales pitch that reflects differentiated value improves the effectiveness of the overall sales process.

Arming the champion with necessary information and resources to handle objections from other stakeholders facilitates consensus within the buying team.

Maintaining a posture of honest and effective communication by being transparent about the product's strengths and limitations helps establish trust with customers.

Refining and tightening the sales pitch, focusing on differentiated value, increases the success rate and conversion of deals.

Deep dives

Understanding the Challenge of Decision-Making

The majority of B2B purchase processes end in no decision because buyers struggle to confidently make a choice. Rather than sticking with the old solution or finding a better alternative, buyers often delay the decision out of fear of making the wrong choice. This highlights the need for companies to help customers feel more comfortable in making a decision and provide them with the tools and information they need to confidently choose their product or service.

Help your prospect understand the market

02:15

Sales pitch structure: market insight, competitive map, our view of key criteria

01:41

As a challenger, find ways to derisk the decision

03:22

Bowling Pin Strategy: how successful companies get started

01:21

Intro

4min

Mastering Sales Pitches Through Storytelling

15min

Mastering B2B Sales Pitches

15min

Crafting Effective Sales Pitches

12min

The Art of Customer Qualification and Category Creation

5min

Mastering Category Creation and Sales Strategies

26min

Navigating Personal Connections and Hiring Insights

8min

Exploring the Charm of Paris and Its Vibrant Conference Scene

2min

Emphasizing Value in Sales and Knowledge Sharing

4min

April Dunford is a speaker, mentor, podcaster, best-selling author, and beloved returning guest to the show. Last year, she joined me on the pod to discuss product positioning and differentiated value. Today, April offers invaluable insights from her latest book, Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win. We go deep on the art of effective pitching and selling, and April shares the specific framework she’s used to successfully pitch products at companies like Google, IBM, Postman, and Epic Games. Together we discuss:

• Tactical advice on pitch creation and testing

• Real-life examples of companies transforming their narratives into successful sales strategies

• How to combat customer inaction

• How to become your prospect’s guide in their buying journey

• The importance of differentiated value

• Marketing’s role in the process

• Why you should avoid FOMO as a sales strategy

• Tips for handling objections

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Find the full transcript at: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/a-step-by-step-guide-to-crafting

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Where to find April Dunford:

• Website: https://www.aprildunford.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/

• Newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/

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Where to find Lenny:

• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/

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In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) April’s background

(03:46) Fixing poor positioning with storytelling at Help Scout

(12:22) Pitch components: setup and differentiated value

(14:13) Wrapping up the sales pitch

(15:56) Handling objections effectively

(19:13) Understanding buyer’s mindset and market perception

(25:46) Avoiding FOMO as a sales strategy

(29:28) Lenny’s stressful experience buying community forum software for Airbnb

(31:04) Empowering champions within client businesses

(34:36) Who this framework is useful for

(36:38) Advice on working cross-functionally

(38:59) Differentiated value defined with examples

(44:16) Selling with calm confidence

(46:19) Qualifying leads

(48:31) April’s thoughts on category creation

(53:05) Geoffrey Moore’s “bowling pin strategy”

(55:21) Conclusion of the setup phase: sharing the perfect world

(57:11) The follow-through: differentiated value with proof and objection refutation

(1:00:21) Why sales pitches fail

(1:01:30) Best practices for pitch testing

(1:05:32) General timeline for positioning and pitch creation

(1:06:50) Marketing’s role in the process

(1:08:38) The impact of developing a killer sales pitch

(1:10:39) Andy Raskin’s positioning framework

(1:15:50) Lightning round

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Referenced:

•April Dunford on product positioning, segmentation, and optimizing your sales process: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/april-dunford-on-product-positioning-segmentation-and-optimizing-your-sales-process/

• A Quickstart Guide to Positioning: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/positioning

• Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning So Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It: https://www.amazon.com/Obviously-Awesome-Product-Positioning-Customers/dp/1999023005

• Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win: https://www.amazon.com/Sales-Pitch-Craft-Story-Stand-ebook/dp/B0CHY6BNDN

• Help Scout: https://www.helpscout.com/

• Mastering Jobs Theory with Bob Moesta: https://www.positioning.show/mastering-jobs-theory-with-bob-moesta/

• The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-jtbd-bob-moesta-co-creator-of-the-framework/

• Salesforce: https://www.salesforce.com/

• Salesforce Completes Acquisition of Sales-Enablement Company LevelJump: https://www.salesforce.com/news/stories/leveljump-and-salesforce/

• How to become a category pirate | Christopher Lochhead (author of Play Bigger, Niche Down, Category Pirates, more): https://www.lennyspodcast.com/how-to-become-a-category-pirate-christopher-lochhead-author-of-play-bigger-niche-down-category/

• Siebel: https://docs.oracle.com/en/applications/siebel/index.html

• Qualtrics: https://www.qualtrics.com/

• Bowling Pin in Product Development: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/bowling-pin-product-development-ashok-das/

• Inside the Tornado: Strategies for Developing, Leveraging, and Surviving Hypergrowth Markets: https://www.amazon.com/Inside-Tornado-Strategies-Developing-Hypergrowth/dp/B000AAN4VM

• The power of strategic narrative | Andy Raskin: https://www.lennyspodcast.com/the-power-of-strategic-narrative-andy-raskin/

• La Product Conf: https://www.laproductconf.com/

• Thiga: https://www.thiga.co/

• The JOLT Effect: How High Performers Overcome Customer Indecision: https://www.amazon.com/JOLT-Effect-Performers-Overcome-Indecision/dp/0593538102

• The Challenger Sale: Taking Control of the Customer Conversation: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Sale-Control-Customer-Conversation/dp/1591844355

• The Challenger Customer: Selling to the Hidden Influencer Who Can Multiply Your Results: https://www.amazon.com/Challenger-Customer-Selling-Influencer-Multiply/dp/1591848156

• Positioning: The Battle for Your Mind: https://www.amazon.com/Positioning-Battle-Your-Mind-Anniversary/dp/0071359168

• Parasite on Amazon Prime: https://www.amazon.com/Parasite-English-Subtitled-Kang-Song/dp/B07YM14FRG

• Snowpiercer on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/70270364

• Lamy AL-star fountain pen: https://www.amazon.com/Lamy-Al-Star-Fountain-Graphite-L26F/dp/B000R309UQ

• Muji gel pens: https://www.amazon.com/Muji-Point-Black-0-38mm-Japan/dp/B01N8QNC59

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Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.

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Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed.

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Lenny's Podcast: Product | Growth | Career

A step-by-step guide to crafting a sales pitch that wins | April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch)

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

Deep dives

Understanding the Challenge of Decision-Making

The Importance of Positioning and Sales Pitch

Understanding the Sales Process and Customer Dynamics

Honesty and Effective Communication

The Importance of Grind and Persistence in Business

The Power of Tightening the Sales Pitch

The Delight of Paris and Favorite Venue

Help your prospect understand the market

Sales pitch structure: market insight, competitive map, our view of key criteria

As a challenger, find ways to derisk the decision

Bowling Pin Strategy: how successful companies get started

Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts