Press X to Market

Messaging Consultant

We're Not Marketers 💀

B2B product marketers in SaaS businesses are feeling misunderstood. Struggling to position what they do internally. Colleagues not having one clear idea what they do either.

What if there was a better way? This is We're Not Marketers.

The new podcast for SaaSy B2B product marketers who want CEO buy-in on what they do. Get the weekly masterclass without the inflated tuition and entry-level requirements, just to get your foot in the door.

Stop being overlooked and start listening.

Co Host

LE CAMP

Marketing advisor for early-stage startups

Coach In Residence

BizDev Labs

BizDev Labs is a GTM agency for B2B SaaS startups. We’re putting a spin on the traditional go-to-market model to help startups generate more revenue faster. Through the new way of B2B Growth, we refine your outbound playbook, repurpose and repackage your content, and find customer insights for better product market fit.

Product Marketing Lead

Product Marketing Advisor

Sherweb

Sherweb is a one of the leading cloud service provider in Canada and is the easiest cloud marketplace for managed service providers (MSP). I was responsible of one of their internal IP software called Office Protect. This Microsoft 365 add-on say goodbye to complicated portals, clunky PowerShell scripts and never-ending logs monitoring. I helped around the product strategy, demand generation, market insights, positioning and messaging. Some of my tasks were:

-Create the product's marketing plan, including measurable targets and tactics;
-Coordinate the relationship with sales, and ensure the achievement of partner recruiting objectives
-Translate product specifications into benefits for users and vendors across multiple channels.
-Become the reference person regarding competition;
-Establish the positioning of the product and the marketing strategy relating to it;
-Produce detailed marketing plans & perform competitive intelligence
-Ensure the creation of tools for Sales and marketing documents;
-Work closely with the development, operations, sales and marketing and customer service teams to ensure the success of its product in the market;

Product Marketing Manager

Allswealth

Allswealth is a financial planning software for Canadians build by Canadians. This Fintech startup believe financial planning should be accessible to everyone. They want you to live the life you want by providing you with the tools to balance your financial needs and wants for today and tomorrow. I joined Allswealth as a fractional CMO because I was greatly interested by the industry and I helped them with a handful of marketing tasks such as overall strategies, copywriting, PPC, product marketing, SEO, and customer interviews. We also collaborated on a research project at the Wilfrid Laurier University on doing a market research on the Fintech. This was part of trying to achieve PMF (product market fit).

Product Marketing Consultant

V2 Cloud

V2 Cloud is a DaaS (Desktop as a Service) software used by employees, students or clients deployed in less than 20 minutes. I was the first marketing hired and employee #9 in this B2B tech startup. I was wearing a lot of different hats but later on I was mainly focused on product marketing/design of V2 Cloud. Some of my accomplishments are:

-Promoted within 12 months for helping achieve an annual lead growth of 562%
-Developed and managed an affiliate program targeting tech blogs to write about us
and build-out an automatic process to gather reviews of our product
-Collaborated with our development team to launch over 25 features in 12 months based on
customer suggestions on our product feedback board (Canny)
-Interviewed over 20 customers to learn more about their businesses and how
they discovered/used V2 Cloud
-Set specific marketing goals that align with the overall direction and business goals
-Set a strong focus on SEO that increased our traffic by 900% within two years

Marketing Lead

Growth Marketer

Prospect-Vente

Prospect-Vente is a business development agency for companies with long sales cycle. I was the first marketing hire and I helped building processes for the agency, and led a handful of campaign. A lot of my work was around strategies and executions. Some of my responsibilities were:

-Assisted multiple customers in various industries with their digital marketing activities and brought a total of $500k in revenues
-Developed slide decks about our agency offer and built our yearly business development program
-Elaborating marketing strategies with different customers based on SEO, PPC, UX and business development

Marketing Coordinator

Syneos Health

Syneos Health is a clinical trial company for phase 3 drugs. During this internship, I was supporting the marketing manager to making sure we were able to recruit enough participants for the clinical trial. Leveraging different channel of communication, I was able to help in the rebranding efforts of this pharmaceutical company and was in charge of the different social communities of Miami, Toronto & Quebec City.

Multimedia & Advertising Coordinator

Netleaf

Netleaf is a SEO agency for small and midsize businesses. I did my internship there and learned all of the basic of SEO and was able to do some work around two of the agency clients. I wrote a few articles, learned search optimization best practices, and discovered WordPress.

SEO Trainee

SStartups without message market fit will almost always struggle when going to market.

The #1 problem why startups fail is because there's a lack of demand for their product or they don't know how to leverage it.

If you’re unable to communicate clearly your value, you will have trouble capturing the demand your way.

A good product messaging strategy will not only improve the baseline performance of all of your go-to-market (GTM) assets, but it will also help you get closer to product market fit. 

But you don’t have the bandwidth, expertise, or perspective to craft a product messaging strategy, you need an ally. I helped 30+ founders achieve message market fit.

I’m here to help you learn everything you need on product messaging for early-stage B2B tech startups.

If you’re a: 
→Seed and series A post-revenue startup 
→Risk-taking marketing leader or founder looking for some quick wins
→Selling to businesses (B2B) with an average contract value (ACV) over $2,000
→Open to criticisms, constructive feedback, and putting their ego aside :)

We should talk.
Here’s how I can help:

________

1. Follow me here for tips on how to clearly communicate your product value

I post 5/week new advice and step-by-step instructions that will help you achieve message market fit.

Just follow and click the bell to not miss anything 🔔


2. Start my product messaging email course

I send you 5 emails related to product messaging in 5 days. You learn a ton and you thank me later, that's the deal.

Find the link in my featured section or on my website!


3. Book a product messaging audit

Curious about the quality of your messaging, or tired of changing your homepage headline every 2 months? Jump on a 20-minute product messaging audit with me.

Book me for half an hour and let’s hash it out.  


4. Do a custom live workshop with me

In 4 weeks, we research the market and prospects together, we build your new value proposition to go to market, and we validate your product messaging strategy together. 

Simply send me a DM 👋

__________

Remember, your product by itself isn’t unique, but your messaging can be. 

So what’s it gonna be?

Tomorrow we’re starting an 80 km hike over 4 days in Chile

And it’s going to be one of my strongest mental and physical challenges yet


We’re going to:
→Sleep in tents, and walk 20 km per day with ~20lbs backpacks
→Deal with the strongest winds in the world and high altitudes
→Cook dehydrated meals, start bonfires, and keep our stamina high

It might sound corny, but this is exactly the type of discomfort I’m looking for

This is scarier to me than having left my job a month ago

Bad things can actually be good things in disguise

It’s all about perception


P.S. I won’t be available until next week

But I will take a lot of pictures 🚶


Gab Bujold 💀

Don’t neglect this when investing in marketing as an early-stage startup

You need a strategic alignment before picking the right marketing channels


I get asked all the time on which channels you should invest early on

And the answer is not fun: “It depends”

It depends on your ICP and their buyer journey

Here’s how to know which channel you should invest in ⬇️


📦Knowing your product inside out:
A SaaS product aimed at enhancing productivity like Motion might find its audience on professional networks like LinkedIn

They focused heavily on YouTube and Instagram with short-form content to promote their product, by investing in influencer marketing

They knew that a lot of people were writing and talking about productivity on social media, so that was the right choice for their product


🌏Understanding the Market Landscape:
The nature of your market—guides which channels are most lucrative for your startup

If everyone invests in SEO, that doesn’t mean you should not, but the goal is always value

Maybe you can target specific communities and then scale that way if it makes sense with your market

Channel market fit should be your guide to identifying and making specific distribution channels more effective


🧑‍🦱Aligning with the buyer journey:
Where do they spend their time?

What challenges are they looking to solve, and what solutions have they tried?

Understanding this journey helps pinpoint the most effective channels to engage them

This is a crucial part of knowing where you should invest your time


It’s very easy to get into the trap of trying to be everywhere

The issue with that is that you need to be providing somewhat some value on a consistent basis to build an audience,

And if you try everything, you’ll realize that the best spend time in a few places only

If you can do a great job of creating value consistently for a period of time on one channel

Then, you can think about scaling to something else


It’s not about selecting the trendiest channel

It's about meeting your audience where they are

And engaging them in a manner that speaks directly to their needs and aspirations

That’s why your product messaging is so important

Searching for a job is really hard, especially in tech

One of the hardest parts are interviews

My friend Jonathan Corrales has been helping job seekers get a job in big-tech

And especially nail their interviews

Jonathan mainly covers technical roles like developers, customer support, PM, PO, etc

But his lessons are applications to many other roles

I’ve been unlucky in a lot of interviews

Spent a lot of time working on assessments or researching companies

And during that job search, I would have loved to get my hands on Jonathan content

So, even if you’re not looking for a technical role (like PMMs for example)

You should check him out

You can also subscribe to his weekly newsletter: Ready Aim Interview

The link will be in the comments 👀

7 differentiation mistakes that can sink down early-stage startups (ignored by 90% of 1st-time founders)



1️⃣ Adding new features to fix growth:
It might make sense to pile on unique, minor features thinking it’ll make your product stand out

But unless these features address a significant customer need, they won’t necessarily translate into new customers

You can always build a wait-list when you have a release coming up

But thinking you need to build it and they will come is wishful thinking


2️⃣ Overvaluing or undervaluing design:
Design matters, but it shouldn’t be your main differentiator just by itself

A beautiful interface is great, but without underlying substance or functionality, it won’t set your offering apart

Balance is what matters, but won’t differentiate you enough alone


3️⃣ Creating complexity to sound cool:
Innovation is great, but not when it complicates the user experience without adding real value

If complexity doesn’t make the product better or solve a problem more effectively

It’s just another barrier for users


4️⃣ Blindly following trends:
Chasing after every trend can make your startup seem visionless

Be selective and ensure you leverage trends that actually fit with your product


5️⃣ Trying to win on price alone:
Using price as your main differentiator is a risky move

Initial user growth might feel good, but you can lose customers to the cheapest option

Also, differentiation in the economy means creating buying criteria other than the price

Would be ironic if this was your whole strategy?


6️⃣ Relying on product innovation instead of customer data:
While innovation is key, don’t fall into the trap of thinking it will automatically solve all your problems

Focusing on how you market and sell your product is often more critical than the technology itself

Segway is a beautiful example of innovation but wasn’t solving a real need


7️⃣ Underestimating customer support:
Excellent customer support can be a game-changer

Especially for complex products targeting high-intent users

Stand out by offering an outstanding onboarding experience and top-notch service

It’s all part of your augmented product strategy



Differentiation is a necessity for many startups

But it's hard to work on your product AND go to market with it

Prospects are always seeing new solutions and don't always think you're that different

DM “differentiation” and we’ll discover if you are

5 messaging mistakes I’ve made when working for cybersecurity products

And how to make sure you don’t replicate these 👇


❌ Just use fearmongering to sell –
Focusing solely on fearmongering can desensitize your audience or, worse, push them away due to anxiety and confusion

Balance the narrative by showcasing solutions and the positive impact of taking action

❌ Don’t adapt your technical terms and acronyms –
Technical jargon that can be both confusing and intimidating to the uninitiated

Always aim to simplify complex concepts into understandable language

Use metaphors, analogies, and stories to explain how things work

❌ Ignore the customer's perspective –
Understand your audience's concerns, level of knowledge, and needs is crucial

This ensures your messaging resonates and feels relevant, rather than generic or off-target

❌ Overpromise and underdeliver –
This not only sets unrealistic expectations but can severely damage your brand's credibility when you fail to meet them

Focus on being honest and transparent about what your product can do, but also what tools and processes you’re going to change

❌ Neglect storytelling –
People remember stories much better than statistics

Share success stories, use cases, or hypothetical scenarios that illustrate how 
your product can be used in real-life situations


It’s easy to stay dull and serious in security
But by dodging these mistakes, you can craft a trustworthy messaging
Great messaging will convert interest into action
And clarity always wins over complexity

Here’s how I helped one of my clients start resonating with prospects as a B2B tech founder

Philippe was struggling to make companies under the value of his workshops and was always talking with HR instead of tech teams, but then:

He saw my posts and decided to reach out

He was already getting technical workshop requests but not getting enough, so we applied the GTM Blueprints to start being relevant when approaching potential customers

It was a game on, for my first big assignment

In just a few weeks, we:

- Started interviewing his past customers to collect valuable feedback to refine his offer
- Redid his website and create new pages for his services
- Crafted clearer, compelling messaging that resonated with tech teams, not just HR
- Build systems and tech stacks to help him GTM properly on top of what he's already doing

Philippe is a founder and he’s running collaborative technical workshops here in Quebec that help teams discover new technologies and stop working in silos

His technical workshops are getting more and more booked because he gets:

- Strategic 1:1 on past results and next initiatives
- Coaching on how to explain his services
- Weekly assignments and ongoing reviews

This all makes his prospects understand what he does, which is exactly the clarity he was looking for

Now he's got the GTM Blueprints in check, he will continue to experiment with his messaging

Remember: Talk to your customers


PS. If you’re a founder like Philippe, who wants to stop your messaging from falling flat 

DM me “Messaging” and let’s make it happen

How I reduced my number of no-shows by half with this simple trick

This is too good not to share


Let’s be clear, no-shows straight-up sucks

If you don’t tell me you’re planning to be on a call that I prepared with

I sincerely hope you step on a Lego brick

With that out of the way, here’s how I was able to reduce mines by 50%

I sell product messaging DWY (done-with-you) workshops

One of the first assignments that I’m doing is

Reviewing their outbound emails and DMs


Why?

→ I can easily understand and gauge if they are qualified

→ I validate if specific assets are valuable to them (e.g. outbound messaging review)

→ I can just bring a different perspective without having to spend too much time on it


That way, they get two things:

1️⃣ A lot of value upfront, just attending the meeting, is your incentive
2️⃣ A taste of your expertise and a way to showcase your style

I think this can apply to startups as well, not just consultants

Provide an assessment, a test, or something that is of high value and can be given away

Without too much hassle of course

Let me know if you end up trying it!

Wondering if your value proposition is “killing it” with prospects?

Make sure you include these 6 elements in it👇


1️⃣ You start with the customer problem and your POV 
(e.g. Manual work to do X sucks, you deserve better)

2️⃣ You’re not using superlative adjectives or adverbs 
(e.g. seamless integration, and game-changing product 🤢)

3️⃣ You’re including proof points from your customers 
(e.g. we’ve helped Gab increase his avg. weekly meetings booked from 3 to 6 in 2 weeks)

4️⃣ You adapt your clarity with your complexity 
(e.g. If you’re to IT, you won’t have the same language as accounting, make it clear for them and provide context)

5️⃣ Your value proposition is backed by data and focuses on being problem-aware 
(e.g. Market research, unique insights, and a clear understanding of the buyer journey are instrumental to a strong value proposition)

6️⃣ You are message testing often 
(e.g. Whether you’re using a solution to get access to quick feedback, or documenting it yourself, you need to understand what moves the needle)


Your value proposition is the wavelength of how consistent your messaging is

And is the cornerstone to understanding if a specific target market is interested in your product

Make sure you’re relevant to your market by following these

How working sales in the food industry gave me the foundation to be a decent B2B product marketer

And why I think we should experiment more 👇 


Before B2B tech, I worked for Pepsico and Labatt

I was a seasonal rep for Pepsi and I was responsible for interacting with small restaurants with their orders

But I was also a merchandiser and helped move fridges around

Very cheap Mountain Dew (big fan at the time✅)

Lots of driving and context switching (Merchandising vs. Sales❌)

⭐ What I learned from it:

Understanding other departments' realities and doing the actual work is the best way to create empathy


At Labatt, it was a bit different

I was in internal sales, so I took orders from actual customers and tried to sell lines of products or new arrivals

Got free beers and a nice part-time salary (cool pros ✅)

Was at the bottom of the barrel for a couple of weeks (not fun ❌)

⭐ What I learned from it:

Selling is a lot more fun when you believe in what you sell, and there are multiple ways to your destination


These two experiences lasted a total of 6 months

My goal was marketing in CPG (customer package good)

But I’ve been told multiple times that the key was sales

My biggest learning is that to understand marketing

You must understand what sales is

I’m still doing the same selling and marketing today

The buying decision is a lot longer than buying beer or cola

And costs a lot more

But the core concept is the same


Don’t be afraid to limit yourself to one category

And to be uncomfortable to test yourself

When it seems like the right choice

It’s the best one you can make

Underestimate market research? Prepare for these 4 setbacks in your startup journey 👇



❌ Misunderstanding customer needs: Risk developing products or services that don’t meet market demands

❌ Lack of competitive edge: Fail to differentiate your offerings from competitors effectively

❌ Ineffective messaging: Potential to miss the mark in engaging your target audience with your communications

❌ Weak value proposition: Struggle to stand out in a crowded market due to a vague or unconvincing value proposition


To make sure you can avoid these setbacks, you should:

🗣️Conduct in-depth user interviews to uncover real needs 

🎯Analyze competitors to identify and seize opportunities 

🔍Craft messages that resonate deeply with your target audience 

🌟Clearly define and articulate your unique offer


I’ve seen a lot of startups underestimate the power of research

It just makes your execution so much easier, no more guessing

Isn't it time to stack the odds in your favor?

5 direct ways to leverage product marketing for quick wins

The best part? You can do these yourself or work with a PMM 👇


1. Increase clicks, conversions, and demos by refining your messaging
2. Boost demo win rate and grow your sales pipeline through win-loss analysis
3. Generate and test new campaign ideas with customer interviews
4. Understand where the competition is winning using competitive intelligence
5. Gather valuable feedback on new releases with strategic launches


Product marketing is foundational for early-stage startups

I’ve started talking with founders hiring PMMs for guidance on the role and responsibilities

Interested? DM “PMM” and I’ll be happy to guide you

Ignoring to map your startup buyer journey might be why prospects are ghosting you

And by adapting your messaging at the right stages, you’ll be timely and relevant AKA more replies

Here are the four stages I use with clients and how we adapt our messaging for each 👇


1️⃣ Unaware Stage:
Potential customers are in the dark about your product and the problems it solves. At this point, they might not even realize they have a need your product can meet

Your messaging should:
→Highlight the problem your product addresses
→Create awareness around your product or a specific use case, focusing on the value of your expertise rather than the product itself

2️⃣ Aware Stage:
Individuals know about your product or service and understand its basic premise, often through marketing, social media, or word of mouth

Your messaging should:

→Stress the key benefits, capabilities, and unique selling points
→Offer more detailed information on your product's features to deepen their understanding

3️⃣ Considering Stage:
Potential buyers are weighing your product as a solution to their needs, likely comparing it with competitors

Your messaging should:
→Tackle specific concerns and questions they may have during this evaluation
→Highlight what differentiates your product

4️⃣ Decision Stage:
Buyers are deciding whether to choose your product after evaluating their options and considering features and benefits

Your messaging should:
→Emphasize the transformation your solution offers
→Provide assurance and address any final doubts with social proof to ease the decision-making process


Your buyer journey doesn’t have to be perfect

We’re currently filling out buyer journey interviews with threat and intelligence managers

And while my client and I are learning at the same time

There are obvious triggers that we’re taking into account while mapping our buyer journey

Stop diving straight into the product when people don't yet recognize the problem first

Mapping your buyer journey will help clarify the different dimensions of your messaging

And can make the difference between a reply or…crickets 🦗

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