Positioning with April Dunford
April Dunford
Want to make your product stand out in a crowded market? It all starts with great positioning. I’m April Dunford, the expert high-growth tech companies go to when they have a positioning problem. With over two decades of experience as a startup executive and consultant, I have positioned and re-positioned hundreds of products and companies. Using my battle-tested methodology, I'll teach you the nitty-gritty of positioning so that you can unlock better marketing and sales performance. If you're an entrepreneur, marketer, or business leader who wants to stand out, this podcast is for you.
Episodes
Mentioned books
28 snips
Mar 19, 2026 • 24min
New Thinking on Market Categories
They unpack why picking the wrong market category creates confusion and extra work. They explain the real purpose of a category as a pointer to your differentiated value. They outline three positioning strategies and when each fits. They explore when to invent a new category and the risks of doing so.
42 snips
Mar 5, 2026 • 23min
A New Chapter on Differentiated Value
Discussion focuses on why differentiated value is the heart of positioning and often misunderstood. They explore moving from feature lists to outcomes by asking repeated “so what?” questions. The conversation covers why “make or save money” is too generic, why value messaging should target the buying champion, and how to separate true differentiated value from objection handling.
43 snips
Feb 19, 2026 • 29min
Competition in a Positioning Exercise
They argue you should start positioning by mapping who customers actually shortlist as alternatives right now. They explain why focusing on imagined problems or future visions leads teams astray. They use jobs-to-be-done and the milkshake story to show how comparison frames shape choices. They warn that sales teams reveal real competitors and that AI often misidentifies them.
18 snips
Feb 5, 2026 • 27min
Preparing for a Positioning Exercise
A practical dive into what must happen before a positioning workshop. Short guidance on assembling the right cross-functional team and keeping group size manageable. Advice on identifying obvious bad-fit customers so positioning stays clear. Tips for shedding legacy positioning baggage and aligning on shared vocabulary before work begins.
16 snips
Jan 22, 2026 • 27min
Decisions to Make Before a Positioning Exercise
Clear decisions to make before starting a positioning exercise are unpacked in short, practical segments. The conversation covers when to keep positioning loose for unlaunched products, how to choose whether to position a product, platform, or suite, and why you must pick the right audience—customers or investors. It also highlights aligning company and product positioning and finding the champion persona.
104 snips
Feb 27, 2025 • 25min
Positioning, Value, and Objection Handling
Dive into the critical difference between positioning your product's value and effectively handling objections. Learn why understanding buyer personas is key to crafting tailored messaging that resonates with champions in B2B deals. Discover how to turn customer frustrations into competitive advantages and why focusing on value can enhance sales success. Explore the pivotal role of objections from non-buying stakeholders and how anticipation and strategic handling can differentiate your product in a crowded market.
53 snips
Feb 13, 2025 • 29min
How to Turn a Competitor's Strength into a Weakness
Explore the intriguing concept of turning competitor strengths into weaknesses using innovative marketing strategies. Discover how challenger brands can find opportunities in niche markets. Learn about the distinctions between platform and tool positioning, and the strategies for competing against legacy brands and low-cost products. Delve into the importance of appealing to end users versus decision-makers and how to create compelling value propositions. Real-world examples from companies like Salesforce and IBM illustrate successful positioning tactics.
30 snips
Jan 30, 2025 • 25min
How to Position Against a Competitor Who Lies
The podcast dives into the challenge of competitors spreading false claims about their products. It reveals the myth that features can be easily copied, discussing the real constraints that make this difficult. Strategies for highlighting actual value over mere features are shared, along with tips on using data and proof points to expose dishonesty. Real-world examples illustrate how to turn competitor lies into opportunities for building trust and customer loyalty. It's an insightful take on navigating a tricky landscape of misleading competition.
64 snips
Oct 17, 2024 • 28min
Getting to the Root of the "We Have No Differentiation" Problem
Dive deep into the myth of product differentiation in B2B tech. Discover why many companies fail to recognize their unique value. Explore how competitive alternatives shape buyer decisions and the pitfalls of focusing solely on losses. Learn about 'value blindness' in marketing teams and the dangerous spread of 'product pessimism' within organizations. Uncover the vital role of cross-functional collaboration in aligning positioning strategies and ensuring sustained business growth.
28 snips
Oct 3, 2024 • 34min
Customer-Led Growth: Why Funnels are Outdated with Georgiana Laudi
Georgiana Laudi, founder of Forget the Funnel and author of a book on customer-led growth, challenges traditional marketing funnels as outdated. She emphasizes the necessity of understanding customer experiences beyond the funnel, advocating for a focus on customer-led strategies. Georgiana discusses the significance of mapping customer journeys and the impact of effective onboarding on growth. She also highlights the importance of tailored KPIs to measure customer success and the value of targeted messaging aligned with customer needs.
