Harnessing the Power of Differentiated Value: How To Win Over Customers and Outperform Competitors

Today’s episode is a repost of one of my favorite topics: why value is important for positioning for B2B technology companies. In this episode, first I define value vs. differentiated value, and explain why the latter is key to everything. Next I explore how to find the right balance between features and value, and I share tips on mastering your product walkthrough and proving your claims to customers. I also cover common mistakes to avoid when segmenting your audience, the job of a market category, and how a strong understanding of your differentiated value will inform successful messaging that resonates with your customers. Lastly, near the end of the episode, I discuss my book, “Sales Pitch: How to Craft a Story to Stand Out and Win,” which you can get from Amazon https://amzn.to/49l0ZRY and wherever good books are sold—see more links below. (When I originally published this episode, my book wasn’t out yet. But it’s been out for 10 months now and has received hundreds of 5-star reviews.) —If you want to skip ahead: (00:15) Defining value.(01:14) A story about Janna Systems and their biggest competitor, Siebel Systems.(04:19) How one sales rep changes everything.(07:35) How Janna Systems shifted their positioning and won over Siebel Systems.(08:34) Customers don’t care about your features.(10:28) Value vs. differentiated value and what really matters.(13:15) Value buckets.(14:06) Why value is difficult to understand.(16:06) Helping customers translate value on their own.(18:21) Mastering your product walkthrough.(20:00) The importance of proving your value to customers.  (21:47) Finding your best-fit customer.(23:50) Common mistakes to avoid. (25:11) Differentiated value and the job of a market category.(27:43) How differentiated value informs messaging.(29:30) My book about sales pitches. —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 Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/aprildunford —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/3vosDzQApple Books: https://apple.co/3xihSzC—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...