AMA: Quickbase VP of Product Marketing, Sarah Din on Product Marketing Skills

The role of product marketing looks different at every company so as such there is no hard and fast rule IMO. Overall, broader marketing experience is always helpful for product marketing because it gives you a better understanding of the channels and tactics used so you can support other marketing teams better. I think being analytical is core to product marketing and any role that requires developing strategy - i don’t think this should be a question of either, OR. Good PMMs should be analytical but also generally understand brand, demand gen, etc.

If you can do an internship during school, i highly recommend that - it gives you exposure to the role and will make for an easier transition - plus it helps build your network. Additionally, if you can do consulting work, there is always a need for that - that will also help you do the same. The key things to focus on is - understanding the launch process and how that works, understanding the voice of customer and how to incorporate that into anything you do, and getting good at writing!

This is sometimes harder to do at larger companies where the PMM team is organized to focus on very niche areas - but with any role, to be successful, find opportunities to participate in initiatives that are outside of your scope. Talk to your manager about your desire to learn and grow and it’s their job to help you find those opportunities - but if you see something broken, raise your hand to fix it. I have yet to meet a team that has enough PMM resources. The other option is to look for roles where you do get to be a full-stack PMM, especially earlier in your career (and often at smaller companies). You get more exposure to more work and learn faster! Once you have done different things, its easier to pick something and specialize if thats your goal.

If you think the interviewer isn’t asking you the right questions to dig into the softer skills, bring it up yourself. The way I would do it is by asking them the question of what soft skills, outside of XYZ, they care about for this hire. Or you can ask them what soft skills do some of their best PMMs have? What does it take to be successful at that company? And then work in your experience and areas where you excel.

Really depends on the need - if the role is looking for someone to jump in and get started immediately with some critical projects, chances are the hard skills are going to outweigh the soft skills, but every manager will think about this differently. I think you need a balance of both - hard skills can be learned, soft skills are harder to teach :)

Depends on what this email is for but generally: Keep it short, and to the point. Make it interesting and fun - humor never fails. You want to frame the benefit for them - that is the most important thing to consider.

With any cross-functional relationship, you want to provide value. The biggest mistake PMMs make is not bringing value but asking for a seat at the table. You own the market insights, the voice of the customer, competitive intel, and other sources of information that can truly help inform the roadmap - lead with data and insights vs opinions and feelings. And make sure you partner with your product team throughout the process and involve them in your work and what you are learning so its a two-way collaboration.

Product marketing is an art and a science - while you want to make decisions based on data, you also have to use creativity to make bold moves. Decisions should be data-informed, with room to experiment and use instinct and knowledge of customers and the market to back up your assumptions.

* Build great relationships across the org * Have a strong internal brand associated with something people look to you for (Ex, you are the goto person for X) - show value and expertise you bring * Strong communication, presentation and storytelling skills will take you really far

You want to understand your competitors but more than that, you need to understand the core value of your product and tie that to the customer value you provide. This does not always need to be your product capabilities - it can be your company’s vision, history, or people's expertise, or your community, etc. The goal is not to get hung up on features but rather play on the emotional side of why customers should choose you - and then why they should choose you over others.

While it's extremely important for PMMs to focus on the customer-facing aspect of their jobs, its equally as important to focus on the internal enablement and comms - half our job is to bring others in the company along and make sure they speak the same language and understand your product and differentiation for example. I’ve seen a lot of teams get lost in delivering campaigns but fail to bring others along across the org.

I've always tapped into my network to find the best talent. It is also really helpful to be part of communities like Sharebird, where so much great talent lives!

The skill that matters most - no matter what level of experience or whether you are in b2b vs b2c is - storytelling! To be a great PMM you have to be good at telling stories.

A lot of companies still don't understand product marketing. I often see companies look for PMMs but also ask for them to be demand gen or content writers or brand marketers - and in some companies, if that's what is needed, that is what you do. But the companies that understand the value of good product marketing will give PMMs the space to lead GTM strategy and focus on messaging, positioning, and the insights that are critical to doing all of that well.

Participate in solving bigger cross-company challenges across the org where your experience can make a difference - for example: pricing & packaging, helping understand churn, digging into win-loss, etc. The goal is to find areas of opportunity where something is broken or not performing and figure out a way to support the effort.