Preparing for a Positioning Exercise

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 I also walk through how to assemble the right team, let go of outdated assumptions, and create shared language so positioning decisions actually stick.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/