AMA: Quickbase VP of Product Marketing, Sarah Din on Influencing the C-Suite

The way to get any leadership team to care about what we do is to bring something of value to the table. Know what your biggest company priorities are (because that will vary from company to company), and then find a way to contribute to solving that problem. For example, many start-ups struggle with product-market-fit or positioning or defining a niche/category or segmentation - all of those are very strategic parts of PMM and of your company's GTM strategy - critical things any executive team would care about. Tldr; align what you do with the biggest company priorities. Bring something of value (like data or insights) and show your value by making an impact.

To get things moving in the leadership team, align with key players and teams focused on revenue growth. Start by identifying top decision-makers like the CEO, CFO, and heads of sales and customer success. These folks drive critical initiatives. Partner with sales to understand customer needs and collaborate with the customer success team to boost satisfaction and retention. Work closely with product management to ensure marketing aligns with product features. Show how your efforts directly impact company goals, like increasing sales and engagement. Use data to prove your success and build trust. Keep leaders updated on your plans and progress, and look for gaps where you can solve problems, like improving communication between teams. Foster a collaborative environment by encouraging open communication and sharing insights. By aligning with key teams and demonstrating your value, you can gain leadership support and make a big impact.

To influence C-suite executives in a business strategy decision, focus on aligning your goals with theirs. Understand their priorities and show how your ideas support company objectives. Use clear, data-driven insights to back up your points and keep your communication concise and focused on high-level outcomes. Build relationships by being proactive and transparent. When you're a VP, conversations with the C-suite can be deep and challenging because you're discussing strategic, big-picture ideas. It’s crucial to present your insights confidently and demonstrate how they directly impact the company’s success. Be prepared to engage in tough discussions and provide solid solutions.

Highlight Your Work: Work with your manager and find opportunities to highlight your work - whether its at Town Halls/company meetings or moments that give you visibility in front of leadership. Take Initiative: Volunteer for high-visibility tasks that might not be 100% in your scope, but where you have something to offer - and involves collaboration with senior leaders. Network and Build Relationships: Build relationships with key stakeholders and mentors who can introduce you to C-suite executives. Communicate Effectively: Develop strong communication skills. Be concise, clear, and articulate in meetings and emails. When you have a chance to present to senior leaders, focus on high-level outcomes and strategic impact. Be Proactive: Identify gaps or challenges within the organization and propose actionable solutions. Seek Feedback and Learn: Regularly seek feedback from your managers and mentors. Use this feedback to improve your work and approach. Showing continuous improvement and willingness to learn can help you stand out. Align with Company Goals: Make sure your projects and initiatives align with the company’s strategic goals. Highlighting how your work supports the overall vision can make it more relevant to the C-suite.

Here are a few ways to do that: * Present a clear, data-driven case aligned with the company's strategic goals * Highlight potential ROI and specific benefits like increased revenue or improved customer satisfaction * Communicate succinctly, focusing on high-level outcomes and strategic impact of that additional resource * Address potential objections proactively, showing you’ve considered risks and mitigation plans * Gain support from other senior leaders to add weight to your request

The best way is to test it in the market - either do some message testing with existing customers to validate, or run surveys on visuals or messaging -- or best of all, run this with a small pilot sales team and then compare win-rates or sales cycles or whatever metrics you are trying to impact. Net-net - bring data to show how this lands vs your existing/older pitch deck. But for all of this to be true - you need the buy-in of your sales leadership.

* Involve them in the process - get their thoughts and feedback to even begin working on new messaging * Keep them involved through the process and show them progress * Test it, gather feedback and share it regularly * Exec team will care how the messaging impacts the business so be clear in the metrics you are tracking and show impact - whether its win-rates or revenue or brand awareness, etc.

Here are a few things I see PMMs get wrong: * Focusing on initiatives that don't align with the company’s strategic objectives. * Failing to show how initiatives will provide a clear return on investment. * Using complex language that confuses rather than clarifies. * Operating in silos without involving other departments. * Not involving key stakeholders early in the process. * Being rigid and not adapting executive feedback. * Hesitating to propose new ideas.

* Make sure you set clear goals or OKRS during planning and share them with your XF stakeholders to get buy in * Make sure you present data on what initiatives you think will have the biggest ROI or drive the biggest impact - and try to quantify that in some way * Ask for feedback regularly and discuss priorities at the executive level * Continue to also update the CMO/Exec team as things shift, because they always do - and constantly realign - its an ongoing process * Be transparent with whats working and what is not and share your POV on where to focus!