What are the most important soft and hard skills Demand Generation managers can build to become successful in their field going forward?

To be successful as a Demand Generation Manager, both soft and hard skills are essential. More hard skills early in your career, and a clear shift to soft skills later. Here's my hot take: Hard Skills Data Analysis: Proficiency in interpreting data and analytics to make informed decisions. Ability to use tools like Google Analytics, Tableau, or Excel to track and analyze campaign performance. Getting comfortable with fast, sloppy startup math (vs the ideal but rarified state of statistical signi ...Read More

Demand generation encompasses so many unique skills - both technical, but also business acumen. I'd contend there is no perfect singular answer to this question, as each company's situation will be unique and have some nuance around what skills would be most beneficial. With that said, there are some core fundamental skills you should develop: Hard skills: SEO, CRO, digital advertising, data analytics, copywriting (super underrated!), nurture strategy (this one could differentiate you), and it w ...Read More

I think the most important skills for demand gen managers going forward fall into two buckets: how you think and how you execute. On the hard skills side, the first is data fluency. You don’t need to be a data scientist, but you should be comfortable reading dashboards, understanding pipeline metrics, conversion rates, and knowing what levers to pull when something isn’t working. Second is full funnel campaign strategy. The best demand gen managers aren’t just running top of funnel programs anym ...Read More

The most important soft and hard skills to help you build your demand gen career are captured below. While I captured each in three buckets, there is so much more to consider. Demand gen spans over many disciplines. Soft skills: Effective communication Critical thinking Empathy Hard skills: Data analysis Deep knowledge of your skill (e.g., SEO) Digital marketing strategy Dig into what you are passionate about in demand generation and truly become a subject matter expert. Read often. Study daily. ...Read More

If "manager" is reference people management, I believe the most important skill sets are primarily soft skills. It's a focus on empowering your team and knowing when to lead from the front vs leading from the back. Highly recommend taking a "situational leadership" course. However if you're referencing "manager" from an individual contributor standpoint, I believe: Soft Skills: Critical thinking Growth mindset Effective communication Executive presence Hard Skills: Customer and Audience Segmenta ...Read More