AMA: Zendesk Director of Product Marketing, Polomi Batra on Storytelling

Our strategy begins with product marketing conducting a thorough competitive analysis to establish a clear point of view on how we differentiate in the market. From there, we collaborate closely with key stakeholders—such as product teams and competitive intelligence (if applicable)—to ensure alignment. If possible, it's also valuable to validate these differentiators with key accounts and sales leaders. By facilitating cross-functional discussions and securing buy-in from leadership, we create a unified message that resonates across teams, ensuring everyone is on the same page about our competitive edge.

The key is to translate the complexity into clear, customer-focused value. You can use this approach: * Focus on customer benefits: Highlight how the proprietary technology solves key customer problems more effectively than competitors, without overwhelming them with technical details. * Tailor messaging to the audience: * For technical audiences, emphasize key innovations, unique features, and performance metrics that demonstrate the algorithm's advanced capabilities. * For non-technical stakeholders, focus on the tangible outcomes—speed, accuracy, scalability, and impact on their business. * Translate complexity into value: Ensure the messaging makes the technology feel accessible by showcasing how it directly enhances customer experience or business results.

Here are a few ways I would think about it -- Customer and stakeholder feedback: Collect feedback from customers, sales teams, and internal stakeholders to understand how well the story resonates. Do customers understand the value proposition? Are sales teams confidently using the messaging to win deals? Sales impact: Track key sales metrics—conversion rates, deal velocity, and win/loss ratios—before and after launching the story. These can indicate how well the story is influencing buyer decisions. Marketing engagement metrics: Monitor engagement with marketing assets tied to the story, such as website visits, content downloads, webinar participation, and email click-through rates. Higher engagement can signal that the message is resonating. Competitive positioning: Evaluate how your product is perceived in the market relative to competitors. If the story effectively differentiates the product, you should see positive shifts in market perception or win rates against competitors. Ultimately, the effectiveness of the story is seen in its ability to resonate with the audience, influence decisions, and drive both short-term and long-term business outcomes.

Ah yes, this is a tough one! Here are a few tips that could help: * Focus on customer outcomes: Instead of just listing features, highlight the unique benefits and outcomes your product delivers. Show how your product improves customer experience, saves time, or solves pain points better than competitors. A focus on outcomes speaks to the impact on your customer’s business. * Refine your positioning: Position your product based on a specific niche, industry, or audience need. Narrowing your focus on a particular segment of the market can help you stand out and resonate more deeply with that audience. Lean into where your solution excels. * Leverage customer stories: Authentic, relatable customer stories and testimonials can be incredibly powerful. Even in competitive spaces, showcasing real-world success with measurable results makes your offering feel more trustworthy and impactful. * Emphasize your ‘why’: Beyond features, communicate the mission, vision, or values behind your product. Explaining the ‘why’ behind what you do, whether it’s customer-centricity, innovation, or a unique philosophy, can create an emotional connection with your audience and differentiate you on a deeper level. * Highlight proprietary features: If there are technical aspects, capabilities, or processes that truly set your product apart (even if small), highlight them. These proprietary differentiators are often missed by competitors and can make your solution feel more innovative or tailored to specific customer needs. * Create a superior customer experience: Focus on making the buying, onboarding, and support process smoother and more value-driven than competitors. Sometimes the overall experience is what sets you apart, even if features are similar. * Be consistent and clear: Ensure your messaging is clear, concise, and consistent across all channels. Confusing or inconsistent messaging can dilute your value, while clarity makes your offering more memorable and trustworthy.

Here are a few other way you can build trust with audience: * Use anonymized case studies: Instead of named logos, describe the customer in terms of their industry, size, or geographic location. For example, “a leading global retailer” or “a fast-growing tech startup” can add credibility while keeping the customer anonymous. * Highlight measurable outcomes: Quantitative results, such as increased productivity, reduced costs, or faster time to resolution, build trust by showing real impact. Numbers tell a powerful story, even without a specific customer name attached. * Use testimonials or quotes: Anonymized quotes from customers are another great way to build trust. Even without a name, hearing directly from a customer’s perspective can be powerful and credible. * Third-party validation: Use industry awards, certifications, or independent analyst reports as additional proof points. This external validation can boost credibility when you can’t rely on logos.