What Your Messaging is Missing: How to Close the Meaning Gap (with Diane Wiredu, Founder of Lion Words)
Timestamps are as accurate as they can be but may be slightly off. We encourage you to listen to the full context.
Podcast Summary
Diane Wiredu, founder of Lion Words, delivers a powerful talk on why B2B messaging consistently fails to connect with buyers despite marketers following conventional wisdom. (02:52) She identifies that the marketing industry has over-optimized for clarity, value, and compelling copy - creating generic promises, confusing overhyped messages, and cryptic headlines that say everything but mean nothing. (05:29) Through her research-driven approach with B2B tech companies, Wiredu reveals three critical gaps: the lack of a flagship message, unbalanced messaging that zooms to wrong levels of detail, and failure to frame messages according to buyers' current awareness stage.
- Main Theme: Closing the "meaning gap" in B2B messaging by focusing on what we actually mean rather than just how we say it, moving beyond generic advice to create messages that genuinely resonate with buyers' reality.
Speakers
Diane Wiredu
Diane Wiredu is the founder of Lion Words, a messaging consultancy that helps B2B tech companies achieve message-market fit. With nearly a decade of experience running localization and global communications for major brands before launching her consultancy, she specializes in translating complex tech solutions into clear, resonant messaging. (03:23) Speaking five languages fluently and based in Barcelona, Wiredu has become a highly sought-after expert in B2B messaging, working exclusively with B2B tech and digital service companies to solve their messaging challenges. (09:50)
Dave Gerhardt
Dave Gerhardt is the host and founder of Exit Five, the leading private community for B2B marketers. As the event organizer of Drive 2025, he brings together top marketing professionals to share actionable insights and strategies. He previously held senior marketing roles and is known for his direct, no-nonsense approach to B2B marketing education and community building.
Key Takeaways
Establish One Flagship Message
Most B2B companies suffer from "messaging bloat" where they try to communicate everything at once - security, ease of use, efficiency - creating a confusing buffet that buyers can't digest. (11:02) Wiredu emphasizes the psychology principle of Miller's Law: people can only retain about seven things in working memory. The solution is answering one critical question: "If you could be known for one thing, what would it be?" This creates the foundation that all other messaging ladders up to, whether through naming your villain (the root cause of buyer problems), selling the win with a bold promise, or planting a flag by owning one specific attribute like Superhuman did with "fastest email experience ever." (15:08)
Find the Right Messaging Balance Through Narrative Distance
B2B messaging often fails because it operates at the wrong "zoom level" - either too technical with features or too generic with high-level outcomes. (22:31) Wiredu introduces the concept of "narrative distance" borrowed from fiction writing, where great stories zoom in and out appropriately. For example, instead of the generic "optimize your team workflows," Toggle's effective messaging becomes "know exactly where your team's time is going" - specific enough to cut through noise but meaningful enough for the target buyer. The key is mapping your product components through multiple benefit layers to find the sweet spot where your message is both clear and differentiated from competitors who all promise the same high-level outcomes.
Start with Market Signals, Not Internal Workshops
Effective messaging cannot be workshopped into existence using sticky notes and internal brainstorming sessions. (15:39) Wiredu's research-driven process always begins with customer interviews, analyzing Gong calls, and identifying patterns in buyer language. This customer-first approach revealed that a content verification software's buyers were "terrified of making mistakes" - leading to the flagship message "When it has to be right, teams use [Product]." (18:02) The most resonant messages come directly from understanding buyer reality, their current pain points, and the specific words they use to describe their problems and desired outcomes.
Frame Messages According to Buyer Awareness Stage
Messaging often misses because it speaks to buyers as if they have context they don't possess, or provides too much buildup when buyers don't need it. (31:51) Using Eugene Schwartz's five stages of awareness framework, Wiredu shows how to match messaging to where buyers actually are. Problem-aware buyers need pain agitation (like Condo's "LinkedIn's inbox is shit"), solution-aware buyers need category positioning (like Paddle showing why they're the best Merchant of Record), and product-aware buyers need competitive differentiation (like Fathom leading with why they're better than Google Analytics). (35:54) This framework determines not just message framing, but also message priority, detail level, and page structure.
Focus on What You Actually Mean Before How You Say It
The root cause of most copy problems is actually messaging problems in disguise. (09:08) Rather than endlessly tweaking word choice and polishing copy, companies need to step back and ask the fundamental question: "What do we really mean?" (08:40) Wiredu realized this during a client project where she was "cleaning the windows on a burning building" - optimizing language without addressing the core messaging foundation. When a digital asset management company stopped trying to compete in the crowded DAM category and instead focused on their buyers' actual reality of switching from "Dropbox, Drive, and messy WeTransfer links," their messaging became immediately more compelling and conversion-focused. (38:13)
Statistics & Facts
- According to Miller's Law in psychology, most people can't retain more than seven things (give or take two) in their working memory at any one time. (11:38) This explains why messaging bloat fails - when companies try to communicate multiple benefits simultaneously, buyers simply cannot process and remember them all.
- Wiz's 2024 study found that 54% of B2B SaaS buyers start with a category search, but then 78% of buyers only shortlist three vendors to get on a demo with. (32:11) This data emphasizes the critical importance of website messaging in the selection process, as buyers quickly narrow their options after initial discovery.
- The content verification software client mentioned was saving companies "millions of dollars" by preventing errors in pharmaceutical and medical device labeling. (17:20) Despite this significant financial impact, the company still described themselves as "boring," highlighting how many B2B companies undervalue the importance of their solutions.
