TL;DR

Most B2B teams are “feature-rich and position-poor.” In this fireside chat, April Dunford (author of Obviously Awesome and Sales Pitch) shows how to turn fuzzy positioning into a sharp, cross-functional strategy rooted in differentiated value—and how to validate it fast with a sales pitch (not an A/B test). Expect real stories, practical steps, and a clear path to stand out in 2026.

What We Covered

• Who owns positioning (and why “just marketing” fails). Treat positioning as a C-suite, cross-functional job: align on real competitors, best-fit customers, and the value only you deliver. Marketing stewards it—everyone shapes it.

• Common traps to avoid. “Founder destiny” (clinging to the original category); 2) Misreading competitive alternatives (forgetting status quo like Excel/intern); 3) Positioning against ghosts on the roadmap.

• From features to differentiated value. Do the “So What?” ladder: capability → business impact → why-pick-us. Example: patented speed only mattered when it reduced churn by enabling live answers during support calls.

• Validate positioning with a sales pitch, not a landing page. Use a narrative that frames the problem your way, leads with value, then shows how—iterate until your top rep prefers the new pitch. That’s your greenlight.

• Narrow to win (then expand). Start with the smallest viable market where your value is urgent (Bowling Pin Strategy), earn dominance, raise prices/efficiency, and widen later.

• Case: LevelJump (sales enablement). By anchoring on “prove enablement drives sales metrics” (only possible inside Salesforce data), the pitch repositioned alternatives as mere CMS/LMS—and the company was later acquired.
  
  

Key Takeaways

1. Positioning is strategy, not slogan-writing. Align execs on competitors, ICP, and value before you write a word of copy.

2. Sell the outcome, not the gizmo. If your “so what” doesn’t reach revenue, cost, or risk, keep climbing the ladder.

3. Test live with reps and buyers. When your best rep chooses the new story, you’re ready to roll it across marketing.

4. Compete with the status quo. “Excel” and “the intern” beat more B2B deals than vendors do—plan accordingly.
   
   

Who It’s For

B2B CMOs, CROs, product leaders, and founders who need positioning that drives pipeline—not prettier taglines. (Structured using Vende’s show-notes format guidance.)

Put It Into Practice

• Run a 90-minute cross-functional workshop to align on competitive alternatives, differentiated capabilities, “so what” outcomes, and best-fit customers.

• Rebuild your first-call pitch: open with your POV on the problem, lead with 2–3 value planks, then show features.

• Pilot 5–10 test pitches; capture objections, refine visuals/words, and aim for rep preference.
  
  

Speakers

• Guest: April Dunford — Positioning expert & author

• Host: Paul Slack — CEO, Vende Digital

• Moderator: Lauren Glover — HubSpot Practice Lead
  
  

Watch the Replay & Get the Notes

If your positioning feels “mushy,” this session will sharpen it into a story buyers can’t ignore—just in time for your 2026 GTM. Watch the replay now.