AMA: Salesforce Senior Director of Product Marketing, Sales Cloud, Chandra Patel on Messaging

I document messaging in three unique documents that can be shared with various internal stakeholders and audiences. Visual messaging hierarchy - a 1-2 slide format. This is a summary of the product positioning that is used for executive alignment and as the guidepost for messaging The product or solution (+ the tagline if applicable) The overall value the product or solution delivers Who receives value from the product or solution The top benefits of the product (3-5) The capabilities of the pro ...Read More

Okay - thanks for the honest question. This is something we all deal with so having a plan is important. It starts with a communication plan for executive stakeholders. When major shifts, either organizationally or due to business priorities, these are the key steps: I begin by looking back at the SSOT stakeholder documents that were approved and are currently in use. I pull these forward and do a "re-share" with any new executives so they understand the current "state of the union." I pro-activ ...Read More

It is often said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. That doesn't mean it's not frustrating to see a competitor using almost identical words to the messaging you've just worked so hard to create and align your team around. That being said, this happens quite often so the best action is to be always be reviewing and refining to ensure you "stand out in the sea of sameness." Some tips to do this: Don't fall back on generic value statements. If it's vague, it is easy to copy. Even wor ...Read More