Persona generation for B2B sales

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In B2B sales, particularly for enterprise software, the purchasing decision typically involves five to seven stakeholders, with a key focus on a specific persona known as the 'champion.' This champion, who may be a decision influencer like a sales ops manager, is critical in navigating consensus and promoting the purchase within the organization. While marketing often creates detailed personas for various stakeholders, the champion's needs and challenges take precedence. Successful positioning must resonate with the champion to secure a spot on the shortlist. If marketing fails to connect with this persona, the opportunity to progress further in the sales process diminishes significantly. The primary objective should be to empower the champion with the necessary tools and arguments to gain buy-in from other stakeholders, ensuring they can effectively advocate for the solution. The emphasis should be on supporting the champion rather than spreading efforts too thin across multiple persona profiles, acknowledging their pivotal role in driving the deal forward.

April Dunford is the author of the best-selling book Obviously Awesome, a definitive guide to product positioning. She spent 25 years leading marketing, product, and sales teams and now runs her own consulting firm, helping companies of all shapes and sizes nail their positioning. April has worked hands-on with over 200 companies on positioning, including Google, IBM, Postman, and Epic Games.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn:

1. How does April define positioning?

2. How do you assess if your product’s positioning is weak? And strong?

3. What are some examples of great products with weak positioning?

4. What are the essential five steps to figuring out your product’s positioning?

5. What is the difference between positioning vs. messaging vs. branding?

6. What’s the difference between segmentation and persona?

7. When should you bring in a professional?

8. Is it essential for a company to always figure out a differentiator and be different?

9. How does this concept help you nail sales for enterprise software?

Where to find April:

Website: https://aprildunford.com