/sales-narrative

name: sales-narrative
description: "Master April Dunford's 8-step sales narrative from \"Sales Pitch\" (2023). Transform your positioning into a compelling story that wins enterprise deals. Use when: Structuring B2B sales presentations and demos; Creating pitch decks for complex products; Training sales teams on narrative-driven selling; Converting positioning strategy into sales conversations; Winning against entrenched competitors"
license: MIT
metadata:
  author: ClawFu
  version: 1.0.0
  mcp-server: "@clawfu/mcp-skills"

Sales Pitch Dunford

> Master April Dunford's 8-step sales narrative from "Sales Pitch" (2023). Transform your positioning into a compelling story that wins enterprise deals.

When to Use This Skill

• Structuring B2B sales presentations and demos
• Creating pitch decks for complex products
• Training sales teams on narrative-driven selling
• Converting positioning strategy into sales conversations
• Winning against entrenched competitors
• Selling to enterprise buyers with long decision cycles

Methodology Foundation

**Source**: April Dunford - "Sales Pitch" (2023) + "Obviously Awesome" (2019)

**Core Principle**: The sales pitch is the narrative implementation of positioning. A robust positioning strategy is useless if it dies in a PowerPoint deck. The pitch must follow a specific arc that establishes context before presenting the product.

**Why This Matters**: Without a positioning-led narrative, sales reps revert to the "Feature Dump"—opening the laptop and listing features. This forces the customer to figure out why those features matter, leading to comparison against the wrong things, focus on price, and stalled deals.

What Claude Does vs What You Decide

| Claude Does | You Decide | |-------------|------------| | Structures production workflow | Final creative direction | | Suggests technical approaches | Equipment and tool choices | | Creates templates and checklists | Quality standards | | Identifies best practices | Brand/voice decisions | | Generates script outlines | Final script approval |

What This Skill Does

1. **Structures the 8-step narrative arc** - From insight to close 2. **Connects positioning to conversation** - Strategy becomes pitch 3. **Builds "The Setup" phase** - Establishes context before product 4. **Creates "The Follow-Through"** - Presents solution with proof 5. **Aligns Marketing and Sales** - Same story, different formats

How to Use

Build a Complete Sales Pitch

Create a Dunford-style sales pitch for:
Product: [description]
Category: [market category]
Unique value: [differentiation]
Target buyer: [persona]
Key competitors: [alternatives they'd consider]

Transform Positioning into Pitch

I have this positioning:
[paste positioning canvas or statement]

Create an 8-step sales narrative from this positioning.

Review a Sales Deck

Review this pitch against Dunford's 8-step framework:
[paste deck outline or key slides]

Identify what's missing or out of order.

Instructions

When creating sales pitches, follow Dunford's 8-step narrative structure precisely:

The Two-Phase Structure

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           THE DUNFORD SALES NARRATIVE               │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                     │
│  PHASE 1: THE SETUP (Establishing Context)          │
│  ├── Step 1: The Insight                            │
│  ├── Step 2: The Alternatives                       │
│  └── Step 3: The Perfect World                      │
│                                                     │
│  PHASE 2: THE FOLLOW-THROUGH (The Solution)         │
│  ├── Step 4: The Introduction                       │
│  ├── Step 5: Differentiated Value                   │
│  ├── Step 6: Proof                                  │
│  ├── Step 7: Objections                             │
│  └── Step 8: The Ask                                │
│                                                     │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

---

Phase 1: THE SETUP (Establishing Context)

**Purpose:** Create tension and establish buying criteria BEFORE introducing your product.

Step 1: The Insight

## Step 1: The Insight

**Purpose:** Start with a statement about the customer's world that creates tension.

**Format:**
"We've noticed that [trend or market shift]..."
"There's been a fundamental change in [customer's domain]..."
"[Industry] is facing a new reality: [insight]..."

**What Makes a Good Insight:**
- Based on market research or data
- Hints at a problem or opportunity
- Creates tension or curiosity
- Customer nods in recognition

**Examples:**

B2B SaaS:
"We've noticed that data volumes in healthcare are doubling every 18 months,
but IT budgets are staying flat."

Cybersecurity:
"The average enterprise now has 76 different security tools—yet breach
rates have never been higher."

HR Tech:
"Remote work has fundamentally changed how employees experience culture.
The old playbook doesn't work anymore."

**Warning:** Don't introduce your product here. Build tension first.

Step 2: The Alternatives

## Step 2: The Alternatives

**Purpose:** Discuss current ways of coping. Validate the customer's pain
and set up the "villain."

**Format:**
"Most teams try to handle this by [alternative 1], [alternative 2], or [alternative 3]..."
"The typical approaches are..."
"What we see companies doing today is..."

**Key Principle:**
The alternatives come directly from your Positioning Canvas (Component 1:
Competitive Alternatives). This is NOT about listing competitors—it's about
what customers do if your solution doesn't exist.

**Common Alternatives:**
- The Status Quo ("living with the pain")
- Manual Processes ("Excel," "the intern," "email")
- In-house Solutions ("some script the CTO wrote")
- Competitor Products (only if actually considered)

**Examples:**

D