How successful Product Marketers think . . .
In previous blogs, we have explored the breadth of what Product Marketers do, and how the Product Marketers who deliver the greatest value are those most capable of addressing the gaps in any go-to-market plan.
Regardless of industry and experience, there are certain traits possessed by all successful Product Marketers. These can be easily identified by analysing
how we think . . .
. . . about our role
We take ownership of
- defining and implementing what blend of Product Marketing is required at any time.
- the long-term success of the product, particularly how the market receives it.
- the go-to-market plan and supporting checklist: tracking all tasks that impact growth.
- keeping an eye on the market and other players within it. The best Product Marketers are data-driven.
. . . about our customers
Customer knowledge and insights are what Product Marketers live for. We need to know
- who is our customer? This is defined by many traits, including their problems, concerns, drivers and processes.
- who is our ideal customer, and what would it take to win them over to our solution?
- based on our product roadmap, who is our future customer, and what would it take to convert them? This includes examination of what problems potential customers need to solve, what drives value for them, how they make decisions and who influences them. It could equally be changes in legislation such as GDPR, availability of new underlying infrastructure, e.g. 5G. The list is endless.
- how our company is perceived in the market.
. . . about our role internally
Product Marketing is the most cross-functional role in technology companies. Product Marketers strive to enable, facilitate, educate and guide across the company.
- We are the go-to person: ‘If I don’t have the information you need, I definitely know who does!’
- Experienced Product Marketers are driven more by getting things done than getting credit for each line of the go-to-market plan.
. . . about sales
Done correctly, Product Marketing paves the way for successful sales and marketing teams. As a result,
- other customer teams find us indispensable.
- we are keen to collate and share every detail the sales team need to win the market over.
- we would rather be a step ahead in noting changes and significant events in the market, but are still always keen to learn what the sales team know and experience.
. . . about the product lead
The Product Manager/Product Owner/Product Lead is the Product Marketer’s closest ally.
These two roles keep each other in check. We appreciate having each other as sounding boards. The Product Marketer will know the Product Manager’s preferences and needs, and willingly be on hand to fill in any gaps.
- Product Marketers want to be of value in scrum, stand-up and product planning meetings.
- Product Marketers understand that Product Managers are responsible for leading the creation of a product. Therefore, Product Marketers will assist and influence product teams with irrefutable market data and insights. We will understand that professional analysis of the market is why we own the responsibility for leading the go-to-market plan for a particular product.
Interested in learning more about how Product Marketers and Product Managers work together, or improving cross-function relationships within your company? Contact us to enrol in the Cambridge Go-to-Market course The Winning Product Team.