Positioning with April Dunford

In today’s episode, I explore why companies overcomplicate market categories, how starting with the wrong category leads to confusion, and what the job of a market category actually is. I break down how to align your category with your differentiated value so customers immediately understand what you do. You will also learn the three positioning strategies and how to choose the one that gives you the best chance of winning in your market.
You will learn:

(00:00:00) Understand why starting with an aspirational market category leads to weak positioning and customer confusion.
(00:03:29) Discover the true role of a market category as a tool to guide customer understanding, not replace messaging.
(00:05:02) Identify how the wrong category creates false assumptions that sales and marketing must constantly undo.
(00:10:16) Break down the three positioning strategies and when each one makes sense for your business.
(00:18:00) Recognize the long-term risks and challenges of creating a brand new market category.

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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

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Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”
“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books
Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

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The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

In today’s episode, I explore why differentiated value is the most important—and most misunderstood—part of positioning. I explain why customers don’t really care that much about features, how to use the “so what?” question to uncover what truly matters, and why this step takes more time than any other in a positioning exercise. I also share how my thinking on value has evolved since the first edition of my book, Obviously Awesome, and why I expanded this section so much in the second edition.
You will learn:

(03:14) How skipping competitive alternatives and capabilities leads to opinion-based positioning.
(04:38) Why differentiated value is about outcomes, not feature checklists.
(06:15) How to use repeated “so what?” questions to move from features to real value.
(08:27) Why “make money” and “save money” alone are not enough to differentiate.
(10:02) How to focus value messaging on the champion rather than every stakeholder.
(13:31) Why teams should align on value concepts before worrying about copywriting.
(17:23) How to separate true value from objection handling in your positioning.

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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

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Mentioned in this episode:
* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming), by April Dunford.

—

Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”
“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books
Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

—

The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

—

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

In today’s episode, I dive into why competitive alternatives—not problems or future visions—are the right place to start a positioning exercise. I explain how different teams inside a company misunderstand competition in predictable ways, and why positioning must focus only on who shows up on customer shortlists right now. I also share how my thinking on this step has evolved since the first edition of my book, Obviously Awesome, and why getting this step wrong makes every other positioning decision harder.
You will learn:

(03:26) How competitive alternatives are broader than direct competitors but narrower than imagined threats.
(05:05) Why starting with “the problem” often leads to vague or misleading positioning inputs.
(09:21) How jobs-to-be-done thinking reshaped April’s positioning methodology.
(12:19) What the milkshake story teaches about customer comparison frameworks.
(14:46) Why sales teams are the most reliable source for identifying real competitive alternatives.
(17:52) How product, marketing, and founders each skew the competitive picture in different ways.
(24:49) Why AI tools like ChatGPT cannot accurately tell you who your real competitors are.

—

Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

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Mentioned in this episode:
* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming), by April Dunford.
* Competing Against Luck by Clayton Christensen.
* Bob Moesta, researcher at JobsToBeDone.org.

—

Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”
“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books
Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

—

The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

—

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

In today’s episode, I dive into what needs to happen before you ever start a positioning exercise. I explain why positioning fails when teams skip preparation, ignore alignment, or try to make positioning work for every customer they’ve ever had. I also walk through how to assemble the right team, let go of outdated assumptions, and create shared language so positioning decisions actually stick.
You will learn:
(01:53) How the second edition of my book Obviously Awesome restructures positioning into pre-work, core work, and post-work.
(03:12) Why positioning is not a marketing-only activity and requires cross-functional input.
(05:54) What sales, product, founders, and executives uniquely contribute to positioning decisions.
(10:29) How to assemble the right-sized positioning team without derailing facilitation.
(11:56) Why identifying obvious bad-fit customers upfront improves positioning clarity.
(18:56) How to let go of legacy positioning baggage that no longer fits your market reality.
(21:58) Why aligning on positioning vocabulary before the workshop prevents costly confusion.

—

Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

—

Mentioned in this episode:
* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming).

—

Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
“Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.”
“Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.”
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books
Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

—

The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

—

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/

In today’s episode, I dive into the decisions teams need to make before they ever start a positioning exercise. I explain why positioning readiness matters, how unlaunched products lead to positioning theses rather than true positioning, and why clarity around audience, scope, and personas is essential. Also, this episode sets the foundation for a new mini-series tied to the second edition of my book, Obviously Awesome, focusing on what I’ve learned after hundreds of positioning workshops.
You will learn:
(01:34) Why I decided to release a second edition of Obviously Awesome after six years of client feedback.
(04:35) How the positioning methodology has evolved from ten steps to five steps and five components.
(08:38) Why unlaunched products should focus on a "positioning thesis" rather than a final positioning strategy.
(09:58) The benefit of keeping your positioning loose before launch.
(13:00) Why it’s vital to distinguish positioning for customers from positioning for investors.
(15:59) Why single-product companies should treat company and product positioning as the same thing.
(17:51) Strategies for deciding whether to position a lead wedge product, a platform, or a suite of products.
(22:26) How to identify the "champion" persona.
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Connect with April Dunford and learn about practical positioning that accelerates marketing and sales:
Work with April: https://www.aprildunford.com/contact
April’s newsletter: https://aprildunford.substack.com/
April’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprildunford/
April’s Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/aprildunford/
April’s Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford
April’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@positioningshow

—

Mentioned in this episode:
* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming).

—

Get April Dunford’s books and audiobooks:
Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It.
Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win.
Amazon US: https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY
Amazon Canada: https://amzn.to/4ac9hgt
Amazon UK: https://amzn.to/3vosDzQ
Apple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/search?q=%22April%20Dunford%22&c=books
Barnes & Noble: https://www.bn.com/s/%22April%20Dunford%22
Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/contributors/april-dunford

—

The Positioning with April Dunford podcast: Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. Using April’s battle-tested methodology, she'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance.
Podcast website: https://www.positioning.show/
Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PFHcWx
Subscribe on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/02XBrnPJ7NVGPUgHC7xstU
Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow

—

This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/