Preparing for a Positioning Exercise
Thu Feb 05 2026
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 I also walk through how to assemble the right team, let go of outdated assumptions, and create shared language so positioning decisions actually stick.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.
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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
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Mentioned in this episode:
* Obviously Awesome, Second Edition (forthcoming).
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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
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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
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This episode was produced by Story On Media: https://www.storyon.co/
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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/