So You're a New Product Marketing Manager? Here's What I Wish I'd Known
Alright, so you're the new kid on the block – a freshly minted Product Marketing Manager. First off, congratulations! Seriously, it’s a great role, full of opportunity and, if we're being honest, more than a few challenges. You’re probably excited, maybe a little overwhelmed, and probably wondering what the heck you should do first. Well, I've been there, and let me tell you, it can be a whirlwind if you’re not careful. So, let me share some of what I've learned, and what I wish someone had told me when I started out.
First Things First: Get Obsessed with Your Best-Fit Customers
If you only do one thing in your first month, make sure you really understand your best-fit customers. I’m not talking about broad strokes, but a deep, almost obsessive understanding. You know, that feeling you get when you really get to know someone and you start to understand what makes them tick? That’s the sort of connection you need to start building with your customers. And this isn't just about demographics; you need to figure out their actual pain points, what really motivates them, and why they chose you over your competitors. Understanding these things will define how you position the product, and how you craft your messaging to really cut through the noise and get to the heart of what people actually need. And, let's be honest, if you get this wrong, you're already in trouble.
Now, if you’re joining a startup, or a company with a relatively new product, chances are you’re not going to have an encyclopedia’s worth of customer data just yet. That’s completely normal. But, it also means that you are going to have to be resourceful. You can’t just sit around waiting for data to magically appear; you’ve got to be proactive.
Your Secret Weapon: Internal Stakeholders
So, what can you do instead of direct customer research, especially in those early days when you might not have the tools, or indeed the customers, to start that research? Well, your secret weapon is the people already talking to prospective customers. Seriously, these people are gold.
I'm talking about your founders, especially if they're involved in sales or customer demos. I'm also talking about any salesperson, sales engineer, or anyone else in the company who’s interacting with prospects on a regular basis. I'm talking, maybe, even a CTO, and other people who are close to the technical aspect of the product. These folks are your best shortcut to understanding the minds of your buyers and how your product fits into their lives.
But, it's not enough to just sit back and hope for these people to start giving you the information. You've got to actively seek them out. You need to create a structured interview approach – and this isn't a casual chat over coffee, you need specific questions, a method of capturing information, and a strategy that will allow you to translate your insights into actions.
Here are some examples of the types of questions you might want to ask:
What are the most common pain points that they are trying to solve with our products?
What features or aspects of the product do they find the most useful and why?
What are the key reasons that a customer might choose us instead of our competitors?
Are there any recurring themes or objections during conversations with clients?
And when you get to these meetings, it’s important to be an active listener; really hear what they're telling you. Dig deeper, don’t just sit passively and let them talk, it’s your job to dig, to probe, to ask “why” until you’re sure that you understand not just the response but the thinking behind that response. And please, please, please take good notes – those will be your bible in those early days. Oh, and one more thing, try to make an effort to go to at least a few product demo calls yourself – seeing it with your own eyes and hearing it with your own ears really changes the context for these interviews.
And while you’re at it, make a genuine effort to connect with these key people, not just for information, but for long-term relationships, you're going to be working closely with them and a bit of good faith in those early days will pay dividends later on.
Your 30-60-90 Day Plan: A Roadmap to Success
Okay, so what does this all look like when you actually try to apply it? Well, a new role is a big thing, so it's usually helpful to break things up into stages. What I suggest is a 30-60-90 day approach.
First 30 Days: Deep Dive and Data Collection
Prioritize those interviews with the sales team, founders, and anyone else talking to customers. Listen in on calls, see the product in action, experience the product in the way your clients do. Start documenting your findings – customer pain points, desired outcomes, and why people choose you. Build a basic understanding of the product itself, its functionality, and its tech. Start building those relationships, not just with data but with trust.
Next 30 Days: Synthesis, Analysis, and Strategy
Analyze the data that you’ve collected, look for themes, and start formulating a narrative about the product and its clients. Start defining the customer personas, and craft your first value proposition. Begin work on sales enablement materials, and basic core messaging. Create a first attempt at a positioning statement, based on data and not assumption.
Final 30 Days: Test, Refine, and Iterate.
Test your early positioning and messaging with key stakeholders, start your feedback loop. Refine your messaging and start planning for a more structured content or demo strategy. Start to formulate your longer-term strategy for content and GTM. This is just a suggestion, of course, and you’ll need to adapt it based on the particulars of your role and company – but having a plan gives you a framework on which to build.
PMM Strategic Workflow
1. Input
Gather data from sales, customer interviews, and competitor research.
2. Synthesis
Group insights, prioritize themes, and identify actionable strategies.
3. Action
Deliver positioning, messaging, GTM plans, and sales enablement materials.
4. Feedback
Refine strategies with real-time feedback and VOC insights.
Wearing Multiple Hats: The Early Stage PMM Reality
Let’s face it – if you’re the first marketing hire in a company, you’re likely going to be doing a lot more than just Product Marketing. I know, I know, that’s not what it said on the job description, right? But that’s the nature of an early-stage company. Be prepared for it. You might have to create content, write case studies, do social media posts, create basic web pages, and, let’s be real, maybe even fix the office printer.
The key is to be adaptable, be resourceful, and try to make sure that you're actually having some impact. That doesn't mean to do all of the things all of the time. You'll need to become a master of prioritization so you can focus on the things that move the needle, while also managing the expectations of your team and ensuring that you are not simply working yourself into the ground. Be clear about the parameters of the work, and make sure that everyone knows what you can and cannot do. Transparency goes a long way.
It's a Journey, Not a Destination
Finally, remember that your initial research and findings will probably evolve as your company grows, and as more data becomes available. So, that also means that you need to create that feedback loop with your team and stakeholders, always.
You’ll need to be flexible, adaptable, and always be ready to adjust your strategy. The data and opinions of today might be wrong tomorrow – and you have to be prepared to change accordingly. And if the last few years have taught us anything, it’s that adaptability is a key component to success.
Oh, and one more thing: Enjoy it! It’s exciting, chaotic, and sometimes a little confusing. It’s all part of the journey.
Tools, Resources, and a Little Help from Your Friends
Now, I can’t let you go without giving you a few tool suggestions, so here they are. A decent CRM to track data and interactions like HubSpot, Pipedrive or Salesforce will go a long way. Something basic to help with task management like Asana, Trello, or even a well-structured spreadsheet. And a basic analytics program like Google Analytics or something that integrates with your product.
And if all of this feels a little overwhelming? Don’t worry, there’s an entire community of Product Marketing professionals out there, just like you. They’re always ready to offer advice, help, and even just to have a bit of a vent with you, because let's be honest, sometimes you just need a friendly ear. Connect on LinkedIn, get into some online forums, there’s plenty of support out there.
Okay, that's my brain dump, at least for now. You're in an exciting role, and you've got the potential to make a huge impact. Embrace the chaos, learn along the way, and I’m sure that you'll do great. And if you’ve got any questions? You know where to find me.
