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Feb. 13, 2025

How to Turn a Competitor's Strength into a Weakness

How to Turn a Competitor's Strength into a Weakness

In today’s episode, I dive into the art of transforming competitor strengths into weaknesses, a practice which I sometimes call “marketing jiu-jitsu.” 

You will learn: 

* How competitor strengths can double as weaknesses in different markets.

* Opportunities for challenger brands to carve out niche markets.

* The differences between platform and tool positioning and their respective advantages.

* Competing with legacy brands.

* Competing against free or low-cost products.

* Appealing to end users versus decision-makers.

* Using manager-level value propositions to win deals against free tools.

* Focusing on high-value market segments to avoid a race to the bottom.

* Examples of successful positioning from companies like Salesforce, IBM, and Snowflake.



If you want to skip ahead: 

(00:37) Marketing Jiu-Jitsu

(01:51) Empowering End Users vs. IT

(05:01) Market Leadership vs. Challenger Strategies

(09:54) Niche Market Strategies and CRM Examples

(13:26) Platform vs. Tool

(21:05) Competing Against Free and Low-Cost Products

(26:43) Focusing on High-Value Segments



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/3vosDzQ



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://spoti.fi/4aqyDqI 

Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@positioningshow 



This episode was produced by Story On Media & Marketing: https://www.SuccessWithStories.com 

Chapters

00:00 - None

00:37 - Marketing Jiu-Jitsu

01:51 - (01:51) Empowering End Users vs. IT

05:01 - Market Leadership vs. Challenger Strategies

09:54 - Niche Market Strategies and CRM Examples

13:26 - Platform vs. Tool

21:05 - Competing Against Free and Low-Cost Products

26:43 - Focusing on High-Value Segments