AMA: Cisco Product Marketing Leader, Elizabeth Grossenbacher on Product Marketing Skills

If you’ve done work similar to PMM: Showcase it clearly. Create a “Product Marketing Experience” section on your resume with bullet points like: Messaging: Developed positioning for X product launch Sales Enablement: Built battlecards and training for Y team Market Insights: Led customer interviews and synthesized feedback Bold the keywords to make it pop. Include the company you did it for (still include the "role" you had at the company in the following "Work Experience" section) If you have n ...Read More

Analytical Thinking — and using AI to accelerate itWhether you're digging into market trends, customer feedback, usage data, or win/loss results, PMMs must know how to extract insights from both qualitative and quantitative sources. AI tools can help you work faster, but the real skill is knowing what questions to ask, what patterns to look for, and when the AI gets it wrong. Analytical thinking means spotting trends, recognizing anomalies, and challenging the data when something feels off. Exam ...Read More

If you’re not yet in the PML role: Start by reviewing your company’s career ladder or leveling guide. Write your self-review or performance summary as if you’re already operating at the next level. Your goal is to make it obvious you’re ready before you ask for a promotion. If you’re already in the role and want to level up: Start thinking like a GM or CMO. You’re not just running campaigns — you’re owning a business. Know your portfolio’s performance — pipeline, win rates, churn, adoption. Cont ...Read More

It’s a competitive market. PMM is a high-impact, high-paying role... and there aren’t a ton of open positions compared to other marketing roles. Quick tips to stand out: Treat yourself like a product. Write a messaging doc for yourself, get feedback from mentors or hiring managers. Build a portfolio. Create a 10-page slide deck highlighting your best work is often more impactful than a website. Use your network, especially product and sales contacts. Three of my last roles came from stakeholder ...Read More

One of the things I love most about the product marketing community is how generous it is. PMMs are constantly sharing their hard-earned lessons — whether it’s on LinkedIn, through communities like ShareBird, Product Marketing Alliance (PMA) or PMM Camp, or in podcasts and Slack groups. Apart from real-world experience, the best way to grow in PMM is by learning directly from your peers. If you’re just starting out, don’t be afraid to engage. Follow PMMs on LinkedIn who inspire you. Don’t just l ...Read More

As the host of the podcast, Product Marketing Adventures, I walk through a “Messaging Critique” segment in each episode with my guests. My guests have brought forth some companies with really impressive messaging. Here is a summary of the top 3 most memorable for having clear and targeted messaging that really speaks to the company’s ICP: Superhuman (AI email tool): Their messaging is dead simple — they lead with the problem and don’t waste words. You know exactly what they solve and why it matt ...Read More

PMMs have to think like mini-CMOs. Your work influences pipeline, product adoption, and customer experience. I typically look at: Revenue metrics: Pipeline sourced/influenced, revenue growth Sales performance: Win rates, average deal size, sales cycle length Adoption and engagement: Sign-ups, activations, data flow, feature adoption Customer insights: Support ticket trends, survey feedback, NPS A healthy PMM dashboard should show how your work ties back to business goals — even if some of it’s i ...Read More

Besides Sharebird AMAs and the Product Marketing Alliance, here are some of my favorite go-to resources: Product Marketing Adventures — My own case study-driven podcast featuring top PMMs from Adobe, Reddit, Visa, Zoom, and more. Yes, it’s a shameless plug — but it’s packed with real-world stories and messaging critiques you won’t hear anywhere else. Available on all the streaming sites and YouTube. We’re Not Product Marketers — A fun, honest podcast that makes you feel seen in the messy, comple ...Read More

Yes! I do weekly meetings with PM+PMM. Here’s my sample agenda:  Hot topics (2–3): Gathered from a shared Slack/Messaging channel beforehand. Roadmap review: A slide showing the next 4 quarters — discuss changes and priorities. PMM plans & updates: What we’re working on, what’s changed, and any needs from PM. Open discussion: Space for questions or blockers. We also do monthly marketing reviews and quarterly business reviews. Keeping stakeholders informed builds trust... and trust is what ge ...Read More