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

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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.

Here are the key themes and ideas from my time with Alex:

1. Great PMMs don’t just coordinate. They execute.
   The best product marketers move beyond project management. They ship, lead cross-functional teams, and dig deep into the market to produce messaging that actually drives impact.

2. Getting buy-in on ideas starts with being likable and persuasive.
   Sales and product teams rally behind product marketers they trust and enjoy working with. From there, internal selling using data and stories will get everyone on board.

3. Simple messaging beats comprehensive but clunky.
   Trying to create an all-encompassing message led Alex to a phrase that felt lukewarm: “evidence-based content platform.” A pivotal conversation with the VP of Marketing highlighted that maybe the messaging didn't need to encompass everything, leading to the simpler and more effective "customer evidence platform."

4. Customer stories aren’t an accessory, they’re the hook.
   At UserEvidence, messaging starts with customer voices: quotes, faces, and outcomes. This strategy makes the value tangible and turns logos into proof, not just decoration.

5. Messaging docs should be under two pages.
   The messaging doc. doesn’t need every nuance. A concise doc. creates alignment on what matters most. It provides direction and gets teams 80% there. Nuance can follow through training, 1:1 feedback, and real-time sales coaching.
   

6. Sales enablement isn’t about control—it’s about support.
   Start with clear messaging, then back it up with tools, training, and feedback loops. Get sales leaders on board and spotlight reps who apply the narrative well. Peer adoption is powerful.
   

7. Tailor messaging per persona—but anchor in a shared pain.
   Different buyers need different angles, but your core message should speak to a unifying theme. For UserEvidence, that’s the “evidence gap”—a problem that connects all marketing roles.
   

8. Messaging discomfort is a signal, not a nuisance.
   If something doesn’t feel right, listen to that gut tension. It’s usually a sign your messaging is surface-level or misaligned, and that it’s time to dig deeper.

And so much more.

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Here’s what’s covered in our conversation:

00:00 – Intro & Welcome

00:51 – What Separates Good from Great Product Marketers

03:32 – How to Get Teams to Rally Behind You

06:19 – The Anxiety of Surface-Level Messaging

07:48 – Execution Over Strategy: Getting In the Weeds

09:23 – How Alex Nearly Blew the Messaging at UserEvidence

12:02 – The Phrase That Almost Made It: "Evidence-Based Content Platform"

13:57 – The Simpler, Stronger Message: Customer Evidence Platform

14:56 – Rolling Out the Messaging: Site, Deck, Personas, and More

15:43 – Connecting Problem and Solution: From Evidence Gap to Platform Fit

17:36 – Working With Fletch on Messaging: Why External Voices Matter

21:37 – Simplifying Messaging for Global Understanding

23:23 – Leading With Customer Stories in Messaging

25:51 – Becoming the Best at Customer Evidence—In Their Own Marketing

27:31 – Leading With Personas, Not Product

28:26 – Why Real Faces are Better Than Stock Photography

31:32 – The "Two-Page Messaging Doc" Philosophy

34:06 – How to Layer in Nuance After the Message Sticks

36:24 – Giving Feedback Without Micromanaging Sales

41:43 – Enabling Sales to Use the Message Consistently

44:53 – Tailoring Messaging for Personas Without Losing Focus

50:11 – Final Takeaway: The Power of Gut Tension

51:36 – What’s Living All About?

53:13 – Where to Connect With Alex

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👉 Where to find Alex

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexeaton1/

👉 Where to find Josh

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-chronister/

Substack:

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@OnMessaging

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🎙️ Referenced

Mark 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/

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Created by Josh Chronister

I interview the best product marketers and tech companies who create messaging that resonates with their buyers. Come learn from them, so you can hit ‘Publish’ with confidence.