Lessons from April Dunford

April Dunford, a renowned expert in product positioning, has guided hundreds of technology companies in articulating their value to customers. Her book, "Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It," has become a foundational text for marketers, entrepreneurs, and business leaders.

Core Principles of Positioning

Positioning as Context-Setting: "Positioning is like context-setting for products. It's a bit like the opening scene of a movie." [1] This initial framing answers the big questions for the customer: What is it? Who is it for? And why should I care?. [1][2]
The Goal of Positioning: "Positioning defines how your product is the best in the world at delivering some value that a well-defined set of companies care a lot about." [3]
Positioning is a Business Strategy: "While most people think of positioning as a marketing concept, a shift in positioning feels more like a shift in business strategy." [4] It underpins your entire business approach and can be the difference between success and failure. [4]
Deliberate vs. Default Positioning: "We generally fail to consider other—potentially better—ways to position our products because we simply aren't positioning them deliberately." [5] Many companies fall into the trap of accepting a default positioning rather than making a conscious, strategic choice. [5]
Positioning and Messaging are Different: "Positioning is an input to messaging... The positioning template should not be a way of documenting your value proposition or approved messaging." [6][7] Positioning comes first, defining the market and value, while messaging is the consistent communication of that position. [6]

Understanding Your Customer and Competitors

Focus on Your Best-Fit Customers: "The first step in the positioning exercise is to make a short list of your best customers." [8] These are the customers who "get" your product, buy it quickly, and become advocates. [8][9]
The Litmus Test for Happy Customers: "Think about your best customers. Everything about doing business with them is different. They understood your product immediately and couldn't wait to get their hands on it." [10]
Understanding True Competitive Alternatives: "You need to understand who your real competitors are in the minds of customers." [11] To do this, ask the crucial question: "What would our best customers do if we didn't exist?". [9][11]
Competitors Aren't Just Direct Rivals: The alternative to your product isn't always another company; it can be "using a pen and paper," "hiring someone," or doing nothing at all. [11] In B2B, you often lose deals to the status quo, like spreadsheets or interns. [3]
The Customer's Perspective is Key: "It's important to really understand what customers compare your solution with, because that's the yardstick they use to define 'better.'" [5]

The 5 Components of Effective Positioning

Dunford breaks down positioning into five interconnected components. [2][12]

Competitive Alternatives: What your customers would use if your product didn't exist. [2]
Unique Attributes: "Your unique attributes are your secret sauce, the things you can do that the alternatives can't." [11]
Value (and Proof): Customers don't buy features; they buy the value those features deliver. [7][11]
Target Customer Segmentation: Identifying the customers who care deeply about your unique value. [2]
Market Category: The frame of reference that makes your value obvious to your target customers. [2]

Crafting Your Positioning

Start with Competitive Alternatives: The first step is to understand what you have to beat to win a deal. [3]
From Features to Value: "Customers don't care about your unique features, they care what those features can do for them." [7]
Find Who Cares—A Lot: Once you understand your unique value, you must determine which segment of the market cares most about that value. [8]
Choosing Your Market Category Wisely: "If you choose your category wisely, all the assumptions are working for you." [5][13] It tells customers who your competitors are and what features to expect. [13]
Market Frame of Reference is Crucial: "The frame of reference that a potential customer chooses can make or break a business." [10]

Common Positioning Pitfalls

The Flaw of Positioning Statements: The traditional "fill-in-the-blanks" positioning statement is dangerous because it assumes you already know the answers and doesn't help you discover the best positioning. [1][14]
Sticking to Your Original Idea: A common trap is being stuck on the initial idea of what the product is or who the market is, even after the product and market have evolved. [15]
Ignoring Market Shifts: "Sometimes a product that was well positioned in a market suddenly becomes poorly positioned, not because the product itself has changed, but because markets around the product have shifted." [11]
Positioning Against Competitors Customers Don't Know: "You will weaken your positioning by trying to position against competitors your customers never even consider." [2]
Confusing Boring with Baffling: "It's always better to be a little boring than completely baffling." [16] Clarity is paramount.

Advanced Positioning Strategies

Head to Head: Positioning to win in an existing market. [8]
Big Fish, Small Pond: Positioning to win a subsegment of an existing market. [8]
Create a New Game: Positioning to win a market you create. This requires educating the market on the problem first. [8][13]
Layering on a Trend (Carefully): "A trend helps customers see your product as an urgent or strategic...purchase." [8] However, don't force-fit your product into a trend. [9]
Marketing Jiu-Jitsu: "The art of transforming competitor strengths into weaknesses." [17]

Quotes on Sales and Growth

The Impact of Weak Positioning on Sales: If you have long sales cycles or low conversion rates, you likely have a positioning problem. [4]
Win Analysis is Crucial: "Every deal you win you should treat that like the little miracle that it is. And find out why the miracle occurred." [18]
The "No Decision" Loss: Losing to "no decision" means you lost to the status quo. Your positioning must effectively argue against doing nothing. [3]
Economic Shifts and Value Propositions: In a good economy, "make money" pitches often outperform "save money" pitches. In a downturn, the reverse can be true as companies focus on survival. [18]
Positioning and Pricing Power: "Clear positioning helps prospects understand that you are a leader in your market segment and that you offer considerable value, making it easier for you to charge a premium." [13]

Actionable Learnings and Advice

Keep Positioning Loose Initially: "When a product is first released in a market, you should keep your positioning loose until you start to see patterns in who loves your stuff and why." [19]
Form a Positioning Team: Involve people from across the company to get a holistic view. [8]
Let Go of Your Baggage: The team needs to align on vocabulary and be open to abandoning old assumptions about the product's position. [4]
Capture and Share Your Positioning: Create a messaging document that translates your positioning into a narrative that can be used by sales and marketing. [7][9]
Positioning is Not a One-Time Event: "Great positioning rarely comes by default. If you want to succeed, you have to determine the best way to position your product. Deliberate, try, fail, test and try again." [16]

Inspirational and Foundational Quotes

"You know your product is awesome—but does anybody else?" [12]
"If people don't get what you're selling, they won't buy." [14]
"Strategy is about making choices, trade-offs; it's about deliberately choosing to be different." [13]
"Great positioning makes our strengths obvious." [7]
"You cannot be everything to everyone. If you decide to go north, you cannot also go south." [11]
"A world-class musician playing on a street corner will be ignored and not make much money." [15] Context is everything.
"The future isn't a place we are going to go, it's a place we get to create." (quoting Nancy Duarte) [11]
"Your customers are already telling you exactly how to position your product —you just need to follow their lead." [6]
"The biggest mistake you can make is to think your offering could only be positioned in one market." [20]
"If you see a disconnect between how your happy customers think about your product and how prospects see it, you likely have a positioning problem." [13]

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