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Julien Sauvage

AMA: Gong Former Vice President, Product Marketing, Julien Sauvage on Developing Your Product Marketing Career

December 7, 2021 @ 10:00AM PT

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  1. How do you make the jump from senior manager to director level in product marketing?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    The expansion in scope!

    A director owns a function. Is able to partner with senior leaders and build strong relationships in other departments to establish strategic plans and objectives.

    Be as metric driven as you can in your current senior manager role, show the impact, then your manager should be able to see how that expertise you've built could apply to the entire function.

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    1 request

  2. What can I include in my marketing portfolio to standout from the crowd as a product marketing candidate.

    I'm new to Product Marketing. In the interviews that I've done, I am being asked to present a marketing portfolio.

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    I would be super metrics-dr :iven here. Maybe show a few functions you've owned (or contributed to), from top of the funnel to middle and bottom of the funnel, with the corresponding programs and the metrics you've optimized for each. For ex: - Owned awareness plan - running exec programs and targeted PR, I could increase the share of voice of my company by x% - Built strategic narrative - creating company messaging and enabling field, resulting in y% in sales velocity and z% competitive win rat ...Read More

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  3. What do you look for when promoting a Product Marketer from individual contributor to people manager?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    The ultimate test is: are you passionate about helping people grow? If not, and that's ok, then people management might not be for you. People learn and grow with new experiences. I like to nurture learning for people looking for experiences & stretch goals, with tactics like: yearly rotation, having a major/ minor project (90/10), or doiong monthly lunch n learn within the team. Another big one for me is empathy. I know a lot has been said and written about that - it's true. If you can't pu ...Read More

    466 Views
    1 request

  4. When moving from a Sr PMM role to ‘lead’, what are those attributes that person should embody?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Owning an entire product line! Or an entire fucntion - like awareness, enablement, etc. I actually think soft skills is what your CMO/ VP PMM is likely to look at - your ability to manage your cross-functional partners, measure and show impact, build your annual strategic plan, etc. Need examples? Suuuure. These are some of values I seek when hiring a lead PMM on my team: Collaborative. We ask others for ideas. We listen to their inputs. We share information. Accountable. We establish our goals. ...Read More

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  5. What are the SaaS you think is doing product marketing exceptionally well globally and it's competitors and also please explain how is the one able to stay ahead than the rest?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Gong, of course :) Come join us (https://gong.io/careers) I mean I'm biased but on top of that, I think Salesforce took the Product Marketing to the next level back in the days, and helps elevate the function in the industry. At the end of the day, it is all about cutting through the noise and finding your own voice. I think the companies that excel at PMM actually see Brand, PMM and Corp Narrative as different sides of the same coin. Telling your story. Your brand is your reputation in the mark ...Read More

    763 Views
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  6. What would you say are the top 3 - 5 areas a Product Marketing Manager should always be focused on that can make the biggest impact at a growing start-up?

    Product Marketing can end up being a catch-all in terms of responsibilities.

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Well, you need to have an impact on your company's big strategic priorities. Easier said than done, right? So I'd look at your company OKRs or top priorities and align the 3-5 focus areas to that. Need an example? - if your company mostly cares about awareness then work on Category programs ( Category creation, Thought Leadership, AR, PR) to optimize DLs, views, mentions, Share of Voice etc. - If your CEO and CMO care about pipe first, then work on PMM programs and campaigns that will influenced ...Read More

    667 Views
    7 requests

  7. With respect to mergers and acquisitions, what are the steps and priorities you take to integrate the newly acquired product into your overall product marketing strategy?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Excellent question. I would start listening to the newly acquired company's customers. Go on a lsitening tour. Understand the buyer and user's pains, challenges, wins, why they love your product, what's missing, how they measure success. From that, you'll be able to start mapping these new key challenges and value props to the ones already in place. From that, updating your messaging doc. Your pitch decks.  Oh - and then the pricing and packaging work starts :) and enablement. I know - it's a lo ...Read More

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  8. What is your opinion on “role over company” vs “any seat on a rocketship” for a PMM early in their career?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Early in your career, I'd totally go for the rocketship option to be honest.

    Best way to learn a lot all the facets of GTM, get your hands dirty, influence key strategic initiatives, show impact, etc. - that'll follow you for the rest of your career!

    Moving fast is the best way to learn fast, I'd say.

    465 Views
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  9. What non PMM skills set someone up to be a good PMM?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Some of the soft skills and qualities that I seek: Strategic yet hands-on​, Storytellers yet tech savvy​, Measured yet creative​, Customer and sales facing​, Running the business​.

    Then in terms of values:

    • Collaborative. We ask others for ideas. We listen to their inputs. We share information.
    • Accountable. We establish our goals. We stand by our actions. We stay engaged and we own our stuff.
    • Impactful. We get it done. We have an impact on the business – because of what we did and how we did it.
    1,549 Views
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  10. What are the best firms to look for associate PMM roles?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    See above. Gong, of course :) Come join us (https://gong.io/careers) I mean I'm biased but on top of that, I think Salesforce took the Product Marketing to the next level back in the days, and helps elevate the function in the industry. At the end of the day, it is all about cutting through the noise and finding your own voice. I think the companies that excel at PMM actually see Brand, PMM and Corp Narrative as different sides of the same coin. Telling your story. Your brand is your reputation ...Read More

    1,466 Views
    2 requests

  11. What is the single most important skill / expertise for a relatively junior PMM to cultivate that separates the good from the (potentially) great?

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    I think Messaging / Positioning / Storytelling are absolute must-haves, but then - in true Product Marketing fashion, you have to clearly identify your edge. What’s your core differentiation on the market? I personally love skills such as Customer facing skills (if you come from a sales/ CS background) Being able to go deep into the tech - you can build demo, not just decks If you have an intimate knowledge of the customer journey, you can work on adoption programs If you like teaching then Enab ...Read More

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  12. I am moving into a new product marketing leadership role and working adjacent to product managers/directors for the first time. I will also be responsible for managing one direct report. I imagine I will lead the GTM strategy side of things and my DR will focus on tactical execution, but I am curious if there are recommended best practices for structuring PMM roles and responsibilities.

    In over 12 years of B2B mktg exp, I've only worked on corporate marketing teams reporting to General Management, so the switch to a product management structure is new for me.

    Julien Sauvage
    Julien Sauvage

    Clari VP, Brand, Content and Product Marketing • 4y

    Great question. I would challenge that a bit, and think that good strategic needs to be based on flawless execution and vice-versa. Maybe you can own 80% of the strategy but execute on 205 of the stuff, to keep a pulse of the market? And vice versa for your DR.

    Or divide and conquer by the functional needs: you take top of funnel, your PMM take enablement and pricing. That type of thing!

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