How We Almost Botched Our Messaging w/Alex Eaton | UserEvidence

On the show today, I have Alex Eaton, Director of Product Marketing at UserEvidence.Before joining UserEvidence, Alex worked in product marketing at Help Scout and Lessonly.What you’ll learn:The 3 traits that separate great product marketers from good ones—and why “execution” is the most underratedHow Alex avoided a messaging disaster at UserEvidence—and the simple question that unlocked the right positioningWhy most messaging gets overlooked inside companies—and how Alex ensures people actually use itA tactical breakdown of messaging docs that get read—why yours should be under two pagesThe “gut tension” test Alex uses to know when messaging isn’t ready yet—and how to push past itHow to tailor messaging for multiple personas without breaking consistencyThe role of customer evidence in brand messaging—and why UserEvidence leads with faces, not product shotsHow to enable sales without being the “messaging cop”—Alex’s exact approach to feedback, coaching, and internal buy-inWhat Alex learned from working with messaging consultants like Fletch—and when to bring in outside helpThe mindset shift from “being right” to “driving outcomes”—why collaboration beats ownership in product marketingAnd so much more.//In our conversation, we cover:00:00 – Intro & Welcome00:51 – What Separates Good from Great Product Marketers03:32 – How to Get Teams to Rally Behind You06:19 – The Anxiety of Surface-Level Messaging07:48 – Execution Over Strategy: Getting In the Weeds09:23 – How Alex Nearly Blew the Messaging at UserEvidence12:02 – The Phrase That Almost Made It: "Evidence-Based Content Platform"13:57 – The Simpler, Stronger Message: Customer Evidence Platform14:56 – Rolling Out the Messaging: Site, Deck, Personas, and More15:43 – Connecting Problem and Solution: From Evidence Gap to Platform Fit17:36 – Working With Fletch on Messaging: Why External Voices Matter21:37 – Simplifying Messaging for Global Understanding23:23 – Leading With Customer Stories in Messaging25:51 – Becoming the Best at Customer Evidence—In Their Own Marketing27:31 – Leading With Personas, Not Product28:26 – Why Real Faces > Stock Photography31:32 – The "Two-Page Messaging Doc" Philosophy34:06 – How to Layer in Nuance After the Message Sticks36:24 – Giving Feedback Without Micromanaging Sales41:43 – Enabling Sales to Use the Message Consistently44:53 – Tailoring Messaging for Personas Without Losing Focus50:11 – Final Takeaway: The Power of Gut Tension51:36 – What’s Living All About?53:13 – Where to Connect With Alex//👉 Where to find AlexLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexeaton1/ 👉 Where to find JoshLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-chronister/ Substack: https://onmessaging.substack.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUdKBktrLJWzNMDS45fh_Bg //🎙️ ReferencedMark Huber: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markehuber/ Jillian Hoefer: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillianmacnulty/ Evan Huck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhuck/ Ray Rhodes: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ray-rhodes-a0672568/ Anthony Pierri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonypierri/ Robert Kaminski: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heyrobk/ David Ogilvy: https://www.amazon.com/Ogilvy-Advertising-David/dp/039472903X Jason Oakley: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oakleyjason/ UserEvidence: https://www.linkedin.com/company/userevidence/ Lessonly: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lesson-ly/ Gong: https://www.linkedin.com/company/gong-io/ Help Scout: https://www.linkedin.com/company/help-scout/ Fletch: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fletch-pmm/