“In a world where there’s so much overwhelming noise, you’ve got to be specific,” says Brendan in this solo episode of Billion Dollar Tech. This pertains to everything, from the benefit you’re providing to how you’re helping, to the language you’re using, even the difference between your impression of what you’re selling versus how other people view it. Too many people try to target multiple personas, and this, as Brendan explains, is one of the biggest mistakes a startup can make.
To illustrate this point, Brendan provides examples from both sides of the issue. He relays an anecdote told to him by Steve Marsh, founder and chairman of B2B tech business Smarsh, about the biggest mistake Steve says that he made. He draws from his own experience with Sudozi and explains what they’ve done right.
Of course, there are a couple of caveats to this rule. Find out what those are and why the companies you think are exceptions to the rule really aren’t.
Quotes:
“The foundational element here is strategy.” ([1:22]-[1:24] | Brendan)
“This sentiment is one I hear echoed again and again and it might be the single most common reason that I see other than founder burnout or wrong timing is lack of focus, that keeps startups from winning.” ([3:18]-[3:32] | Brendan)
“These are all things that require a lot of time and expertise that you can’t get if you’re saying, ‘Well, I want to sell into six different personas across five different industries and so forth.” ([5:29]-[5:42] | Brendan)
Connect with Brendan Dell:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendandell/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BrendanDell
Instagram: @thebrendandell
TikTok: @brendandell39
Buy a copy of Brendan’s Book, The 12 Immutable Laws of High-Impact Messaging: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780578210926
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About the Author
Brendan Dell
Brendan Dell is an author and the founder of The Daily Creative. As a freelancer he's worked with clients like Expedia, Cvent, Panasonic, Brother, Windstream and 100+ more to build unignorable tech brands. At The Daily Creative, he shares advice and lessons to help freelancers level up.
