Coaching PMM Confidence

Three product marketers I know got the same feedback last week:that they need to ‘be more confident.’ In each case, the manager’s intent is good.And each of the PMMs agrees. But the feedback is unhelpful without a plan to get there. Introducing Humans Hi, meet humans. Telling them how to feel doesn’t work. Hey, I … Continue reading Coaching PMM Confidence →

Best Practice: Work with CSMs

If you want to understand customers,so you can better position your products, then work with your ally, the customer success manager (CSM). CSMs and Their Relationships Many PMMs choose sales people as their primary path to customers. That’s good. AEs win by finding a business need so important/urgent they can drive a deal. But CSMs often build … Continue reading Best Practice: Work with CSMs →

Build Your Own Customer Relationships

To do great positioning, you must talk to customers. Because the best positioning ideas come from your customers.But real conversations only happen when you have a relationship.To be the best PMM, you need to build your own customer relationships. Outside → In Positioning A year after I joined the PMM team for Salesforce’s Service Cloud, I … Continue reading Build Your Own Customer Relationships →

The 3-S Demo Video Method

For PMMs, demo videos are an opportunity to shine. Product-driven stories that can reach millions of people.Compelling. Vivid. Concise. But making one can be frustrating and slow if you approach it wrong. Here’s my 3-S Method to deliver the best demo video, fastest.It involves partners: creative, video, agencies, and your peers & boss. The built-in iteration … Continue reading The 3-S Demo Video Method →

PMM: Always Be Interviewing

Most PMMs interview for new jobs only after deciding to leave, or being let go.Most PMM managers interview candidates only if there’s open headcount. There’s a better way. Job Interviews to Build Network, Intelligence & Insight As PMMs and PMM leaders, it pays to build your network.It pays to gather intelligence and ideas on what … Continue reading PMM: Always Be Interviewing →

Pro Tip: the Sunday Meeting Cleanse™

It’s Sunday. On Friday you said to yourself: “I’ll have to work Sunday.” You said: “I had so many meetings I didn’t get much done.” Q: How can you make the best impact if you don’t prioritize your time?A: You can’t. Get disciplined about Your time One unstated part of the PMM job is to … Continue reading Pro Tip: the Sunday Meeting Cleanse™ →

Product Releases & Product Launches Are Very Different Things

Pop quiz: Your next product release will be pushed to production in 7 weeks. Q: When should you do a launch for that release?A: You shouldn’t launch a release. Instead, as a product marketer, your job is to decide what products you want to LAUNCH, to whom, and when. It doesn't have much to do … Continue reading Product Releases & Product Launches Are Very Different Things →

Storytelling Workshops, Creativity and Product Marketing

Product marketers are creative. Re-framing markets. Building and re-building positioning. Telling compelling customer stories. Creating stories for salespeople. Building demo stories. It’s really fun. But the daily grind can be a grind. Especially when the execution pressure is on, or the business or the team is under stress. And that creativity – and the energy … Continue reading Storytelling Workshops, Creativity and Product Marketing →

The Power of a Shoebox

We work in a world populated by a lot of things we can’t control.Here’s a tip for keeping that from getting in your way. All the Things You Can’t Control ExecutivesThe economyThat colleague who is up to political/gossip shenanigansThat person on your team who is having a hard time in his personal lifeYour bossAnxiety (yours … Continue reading The Power of a Shoebox →

Stop Apologizing

I assume you have an idea or two about how to make your company grow better. (Now is a good time to tell people that idea)But to persuade humans to change, you need to speak with impact. Here's one mistake I see PMMs making, one that is easy to fix: “I have an idea, but you’ve … Continue reading Stop Apologizing →