AMA: Salesloft Director of Product Marketing, Holly Xiao on Product Marketing 30/60/90 Day Plan

Congratulations on your new role! At its core, the 30/60/90 plan is about setting yourself and your team up for sustainable success while building credibility through some quick wins — no matter what level you’re coming in at. However, the more senior you are, the more your manager and leaders will look to you to tell them what the opportunities are and what you’re going to prioritize. I shared a more detailed 30-60-90 day plan in one of the answers above. But generally, my top tips for success at the director level are to: * Think strategically, but act quickly (esp at a smaller company): As a director, your role is to look ahead and drive long-term strategy, but in those first 90 days, showing some quick wins is crucial for building trust and credibility. * Lead with collaboration: Building strong relationships across departments is key. Product marketing touches so many areas—Product, Sales, Marketing, Customer Success—so being an advocate and aligning everyone is critical. * Stay customer-focused: Keep your ear close to the ground when it comes to customer needs and pain points. Being customer-centric will help you craft messaging that resonates and delivers real business value. * Be proactive, not reactive (if possible): Some companies just operate reactively, and that’s going to take time to change. But don’t wait for problems to come to you—take the lead in identifying challenges and offering solutions. As a director, you’re expected to bring leadership and direction.

As the first product marketing hire, it’s essential to balance the immediate needs of the business with your desire to grow into a more strategic role. If right now the business requires you to act as a launch manager or write copy for new releases, that’s part of your responsibility, and doing that well is crucial to your success. However, it doesn’t mean you have to stay in that scope forever. My advice would be to: 1. Own the short-term needs, but keep an eye on the long-term In the early stages, it’s important to deliver on the business’s immediate needs, whether it’s managing launches or creating release content. Master the basics and ensure you’re doing them well, as that builds trust with your team. However, you should also be thinking about where you want to grow. I recommend scheduling monthly career development conversations with your manager to talk about the areas you want to lean into, such as strategy, messaging, or market research. If you’re successful in your current role, chances are your manager will be more than happy to expose you to more opportunities and expand your scope. 2. Be proactive in identifying strategic opportunities One way to position yourself as more than just a project manager or copywriter is by actively identifying opportunities and surfacing them to your manager. For example, if you notice gaps in customer messaging, market insights, or product positioning, don’t just point them out—come with a proposed solution. Say, “Here’s what I’m seeing, and here’s how I think we could address it.” This will help your manager see you as a strategic player who is thinking beyond day-to-day tasks and focusing on long-term growth for the business. 3. Have a dual focus: execution and strategic thinking While delivering on immediate needs is key, always try to balance it with longer-term strategic thinking. For example, if you’re working on a product launch, think about not just the deliverables but also the positioning, messaging, and how this launch fits into the broader market strategy. Show that you can handle both the tactical side and the strategic side. Over time, this approach will help expand your role. 4. Leverage feedback and results Lastly, make sure to track your results and share them with your manager. If a product launch goes well or your messaging leads to improved engagement, showcase those wins. When your manager sees the business impact of your work, it strengthens your case for taking on more strategic responsibilities.

This can be tricky, especially if cross-functional leaders and stakeholders have never worked with a PMM team in past roles. So, I’d emphasize educating the organization on product marketing and how it can drive value across the business. First 30 Days: Learn, build relationships, and start educating In the first month, I’d focus on understanding the business, product, and team dynamics, but I also make it a point to begin the internal education process. Many people in the organization may not fully understand the role of product marketing, so it’s crucial to clarify and align as soon as possible. I’d have conversations with key stakeholders—Product, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success—to learn about their current processes, challenges, and how product marketing can fill the gaps. During these conversations, I explain how I think about PMM and where I think I could help them—from crafting clear messaging and positioning to supporting product launches and enabling sales with the right tools. But I’d recommend you approach it as a conversation to start defining what PMM means at your company vs “this is what I’m doing”. Next 30 Days (Days 31-60): Define the role and start implementing Once I’ve built some initial understanding, the next phase is about formalizing the product marketing function. I’ll host more structured sessions with cross-functional teams to go deeper into how product marketing supports each area of the business — and get their feedback on the partnership. I’d also use this time to create internal documentation or a product marketing playbook that outlines key PMM responsibilities and how we can work together effectively. This provides clarity and sets the stage for more collaborative efforts. Also, you'll probably find some low-hanging fruits along the way that you can work on to start showing your value and building trust. Final 30 Days (Days 61-90): Drive collaboration and get early wins By the final 30 days, I’m focused on putting the education into action and delivering results. I’ll work closely with each function to prioritize additional quick wins—whether it’s tightening messaging, developing sales enablement tools, or coordinating a small product launch. These early wins build credibility for the PMM function and reinforce the value of what we bring to the table. Throughout this phase, I’d continue internal education, ensuring that everyone understands how product marketing drives success. I’ll also set up ongoing touchpoints and processes to keep the team aligned and ensure PMM’s role is fully integrated and embraced across the organization.

I think it’s all about setting a strong foundation while driving early impact. My first month would be all about learning, building relationships, and getting quick wins, while my first quarter would be about executing key initiatives, showing early results, and laying the groundwork for future success. Here’s how I would think about it: First Month: Listen & learn In the first month, my main focus would be on deeply understanding the product, the market, and the company’s goals. It’s crucial to invest time in getting the full picture before jumping into execution. 1. Learn the product inside out: I’d dive deep into the product—how it works, what problems it solves, and what differentiates it. I’d attend product demos, talk to engineers, and shadow sales calls to absorb as much as possible. 2. Understand the market and customers: I’d spend time reviewing customer feedback, industry research, and competitor analysis to get a sense of the market landscape. Talking to existing customers directly would be a priority to understand their needs and pain points firsthand. 3. Build key relationships: It’s critical to establish relationships with cross-functional teams—Product, Sales, Customer Success, and Leadership. Understanding their expectations, pain points, and goals will help me shape my priorities and build alignment. 4. Audit current messaging and materials: I’d review all existing messaging, sales enablement materials, and marketing content. This helps me identify gaps or inconsistencies early on. 5. Set initial priorities: By the end of the first month, I’d aim to have a clear view of what the most immediate needs are—whether it’s refining messaging, supporting an upcoming launch, or building out sales enablement tools—and align those priorities with key stakeholders. First Quarter: Execute, measure, and build foundations By the end of the first quarter, I’d be focused on delivering tangible results while setting up a framework for long-term success. This phase will be around executing the priorities you identified. I’d also start building the foundations for scaling the product marketing function. This could mean setting up a repeatable process for future product launches, creating templates for sales enablement, or building a content calendar to support marketing initiatives.

At its core, the 30/60/90 plan is about setting yourself and your team up for sustainable success while building credibility through some quick wins early on. Sharebird has some pretty good templates, and I’d recommend reading The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins for a solid framework. Here’s how I typically think about a 30/60/90 day plan: 30 Days: Listen & learn In the first 30 days, your focus should be on absorbing as much information as possible. Think of it as laying the foundation. I start by building relationships with key stakeholders—Product, Sales, Marketing, Customer Success, and Leadership—to understand their expectations, pain points, and how product marketing can support them. I also prioritize learning the product inside out, diving into product demos, customer use cases, and market research. During this time, you’re setting the groundwork for more strategic thinking. Focus on understanding the company’s overall goals, how work gets done, and how your role fits into that bigger picture. I’d recommend setting goals like meeting with at least 10 key internal stakeholders (depending on the size of your company), reviewing past launch materials, and familiarizing yourself with the product’s roadmap. Your manager can help put together a list of all the people you should introduce yourself to and speak with. 60 Days: Strategize & plan By day 60, the focus shifts to synthesizing what you’ve learned and formulating a clear plan. This is when you begin putting strategies in place. You’ve had time to understand both internal and external dynamics, so now you can define key priorities and start aligning them with the company’s objectives. I like to put together an “observations” deck from my intro calls and learning phase to share with my manager and cross-functional stakeholders for feedback and to jumpstart further dialogue. This is where I’d begin laying out concrete plans for what I think are the top priorities in the next 30 days, quarters, and year. You’ll also want to develop initial KPIs, communicate them with leadership, and validate that these goals reflect what success looks like in this organization. Remember, you also want to have some quick wins in this phase. At this stage, you’re starting to contribute but still in a learning mode, so it’s a balance of planning and execution. 90 Days: Execute & measure In the final stretch of onboarding, you should be moving from planning to executing. By now, you’ve earned some trust, so it’s time to take ownership of key initiatives. Whether it’s launching a product, creating new messaging frameworks, or revamping the go-to-market strategy, this is when you start delivering on your priorities and showing tangible results. It’s also a great time to step back and evaluate the impact of what you’ve done so far. What metrics can you measure? How is your work aligning with broader business goals? This is when you should focus on refining your approach, optimizing what’s working, and course-correcting if needed. Ultimately, the key is to think of your 30/60/90 plan as a living document—something that evolves as you gather more insights and gain confidence in your role.

This would depend on the business and where the gaps are. But generally, I’d look at: 1. Messaging and positioning consistency I always start by reviewing the core messaging and positioning. I want to see if the product’s value proposition is clearly defined and if that messaging is consistent across all channels—whether it’s the website, sales materials, sales calls, or customer communications. If there are inconsistencies or a lack of clarity, that’s typically one of the first areas I work to address. Solid, consistent messaging is the foundation of successful product marketing. But if there’s an opportunity to tweak and enhance the overall messaging, then that’s another area of focus. 2. Sales enablement materials I look at the tools and resources that have been created to support the sales team. This includes pitch decks, battle cards, case studies, and objection-handling docs. I’m particularly interested in whether these materials are up-to-date, relevant, and actually being used by sales. Effective sales enablement is critical for driving revenue, so I want to ensure there’s alignment between product marketing and the sales team. 3. GTM strategy and execution Lastly, I review the GTM strategies for previous launches. I’m looking for insights into how launches have been planned and executed—what worked, what didn’t, and how success was measured. This helps me understand how well the team has collaborated across functions like Product, Marketing, and Sales, and it gives me a sense of where we can improve or optimize future GTM efforts. These three areas—messaging consistency, sales enablement, and GTM strategy—typically give me a clear sense of the current state of product marketing and where I can make an immediate impact.

I approach one-on-ones with engineers and the sales team as a chance to understand their perspectives, challenges, and how product marketing can add value. So I typically ask them questions like: * What’s your current focus, and what are the biggest challenges you’re facing? * How do you measure success in your role? * What are your key objectives and goals for the quarter/year? * How do we prioritize features or updates, and what drives those decisions? * What are the most common objections you hear during the sales process? * What’s working? What’s not working today? * How have you worked with PMM in the past? What would you change about it? * How can PMM make your lives/jobs easier?

The quick wins really depend on the specific needs of your business. That’s why it’s crucial to spend time early on understanding the current challenges, gaps, and priorities before deciding what to focus on. Some examples could be: * Clarify product positioning or messaging * Enhance sales enablement materials * Deliver a customer case study or success story * Streamline internal processes * Run a small, targeted launch/campaign * Align with key stakeholders * Improve product training or onboarding content But again, your quick wins should reflect the specific gaps and challenges your business is facing. 

It depends on my role. But in any role, I think the focus of any first meeting is to listen, learn, and build relationships. Typically, the first meeting is all about getting to know each other on a human level. * As an IC, my focus is on understanding the team dynamics, getting to know each person’s role, and hearing about what drives them in their work. I’d introduce myself, share my background, and ask how I can best contribute while learning about everyone’s unique strengths. My goal is to connect with the team and build rapport as I integrate. * As a leader, I’d emphasize creating a trusting and open environment from day one. I’d take time to listen to each team member, understand what motivates them, and learn about their goals beyond just their current projects. I’d also share more about myself—not just as a professional but as a person—so we can build a sense of mutual trust. Whether I’m the new team member or the leader, focusing on the human side helps create a strong foundation for collaboration and shared success.

With launch KPIs, it’s important to choose goals that not only align with the company’s goals but also reflect the specific dynamics of the product and market. Here’s how I’d approach it: First, I prioritize listening and learning. I spend time getting to know the product, its value proposition, and how it fits into the overall company strategy. This includes talking to key stakeholders—product, sales, customer success, and leadership—to understand what success looks like from their perspective. Their insights help shape a broader view of how this launch impacts the business. Then, I look at historical data if available. Reviewing past launches gives me context on what’s worked, what hasn’t, and how the market has responded in similar scenarios. If I’m dealing with a brand-new product, I may study industry benchmarks or comparable products to identify patterns and set realistic, yet ambitious, goals. Once I have a solid understanding of the landscape, I begin mapping out KPIs (split out by leading and lagging indicators) by considering three main areas: 1. Awareness and engagement: How will we measure the reach and visibility of this launch? Do we break it out by existing customers vs net new prospects? This could be metrics like impressions, website traffic, email open rates, or event attendance, depending on the marketing tactics we use. I look for KPIs that indicate early traction and market interest. 2. Pipeline and revenue Impact: What financial impact are we expecting from this launch? Whether it’s top-of-funnel pipeline creation, influenced opportunities, or closed revenue, I focus on KPIs that reflect tangible business outcomes. I work closely with sales, demand gen, and rev ops to make sure these metrics are aligned with their targets and realistic given the launch timeline. 3. Product adoption and customer success: Post-launch, it’s crucial to track how customers are engaging with the product. Adoption rates, usage metrics, or NPS scores can be strong indicators of whether the launch has truly resonated with your audience. I collaborate with customer success teams to ensure we’re capturing feedback and making adjustments where needed. Lastly, I take an iterative approach. Since I’m new, I recognize that I may not have all the context or data upfront. I make sure that KPIs can evolve over time as we gather more information and get a clearer picture of the market’s reaction. Transparency with leadership and stakeholders about this flexibility is key—launch metrics don’t need to be set in stone from day one, but they do need to be meaningful and measurable.

Adding a Junior PMM is a strategic decision that should align closely with your business needs and the gaps you're looking to fill. No single background guarantees success, but it’s important to assess what complementary skills would benefit your team based on what you’re currently missing. So there isn't a single "right" path into product marketing, but some backgrounds tend to set Junior PMMs up for greater success, particularly in the early stages of their career. I've seen the following backgrounds succeed in PMM: 1. Customer-facing roles If your team needs a stronger connection to customer pain points or you’re in a business where customer insights drive decision-making, those with experience in customer success, sales enablement, or account management can be highly effective. Their exposure to customers gives them a firsthand understanding of pain points, desires, and friction in the sales process, which can help them craft more targeted messaging and positioning. 2. Content creation and comms If your team is light on content or struggles to communicate complex ideas simply, bringing on a Junior PMM with a background in content marketing, PR, or copywriting could be a game-changer. These candidates typically excel at making technical or complex products easy to understand and appealing to your target audience, which is especially valuable in high-growth environments where clear communication is essential. 3. Project management or operations This was my background before transitioning to PMM. In businesses where execution and process are key challenges, a Junior PMM with experience in project management or operations can help streamline product launches and campaign execution. These individuals often have an innate ability to manage timelines, keep teams on track, and ensure alignment across functions. This is especially critical if your team is spread thin and needs more structure in how things are executed. 4. Market research If your team lacks a data-driven mindset or struggles with keeping a pulse on the market, a Junior PMM with a market research or consulting background can bring a fresh perspective. They’re often skilled at distilling data into actionable insights, helping the team make informed decisions, and setting measurable goals to track product performance. In today’s landscape, this data fluency is increasingly important for product marketers. 5. Solutions engineers or pre-sale consultants (esp for internal transfers) If your team doesn’t have deep technical or product knowledge, consider adding someone with a background as a solutions engineer or consultant, especially if you’re promoting internally. These individuals usually bring a wealth of in-depth product understanding and can bridge the gap between GTM and Product. They’re also well-versed in customer use cases and have a strong grasp of the product’s capabilities, which is invaluable when crafting technical messaging or handling complex product launches. Their ability to articulate value in a technical yet relatable way can help differentiate your team’s go-to-market strategy. Ultimately, success comes down to adaptability and curiosity. A Junior PMM with a genuine curiosity about how things work—both the product and the market—will learn fast and be an asset to the team. I usually look for someone with a growth mindset who’s eager to dive in, ask questions, and evolve as they go.

For a Junior PMM, the 30-60-90 day plan should focus on building foundational knowledge, learning the ropes of product marketing, and gradually contributing to key initiatives. Your manager will be your greatest asset to succeed so don’t be afraid to ask for more time or help. Here’s how I’d structure onboarding to ensure a smooth introduction and set a junior PMM up for long-term success: First 30 Days: Learn, observe, and build a foundation The first month is all about gaining a deep understanding of the product, company, and market. The key goal is to absorb information and start building relationships. 1. Learn the product: I’d have the Jr. PMM dive into the product—attend demos, listen to Gong calls, explore its features, and understand how it solves customer pain points. They should also familiarize themselves with the product roadmap to grasp where the product is headed. 2. Understand the market and customers: I’d encourage them to review customer personas, market research, and competitor analyses to get a sense of the competitive landscape. If possible, they should also talk to sales or customer success teams to hear about customer challenges firsthand. 3. Build relationships: 1:1s with key cross-functional stakeholders—Product, Sales, Marketing, and Customer Success—are critical. I’d create the list for them ahead of time. The Jr. PMM should spend time learning how these teams operate and how product marketing can support them. 4. Help with a small task(s): Typically, there will be small tasks that we’ve been waiting for the hire to help with before they even started. So, I’d ask them to start working on some of the tasks. This allows them to acclimate to the business by doing and gain confidence as they complete the tasks. Next 30 Days: Start contributing and building confidence After laying the groundwork, the next 30 days should focus on translating that knowledge into actionable contributions. This is where they can start to take on manageable projects. What your business needs will be unique, but here are some ideas: 1. Support messaging or positioning: At this stage, the Jr. PMM could contribute to updating or refining existing product messaging. Whether it’s working on value propositions, competitive comparisons, or sales enablement materials, they should start applying their learning to real-world tasks. 2. Own a small project: I’d assign them a small project to build confidence, such as helping with a piece of product collateral, creating a competitor battle card, or assisting with content for a minor product update. This gives them a taste of ownership while keeping the stakes manageable. 3. Contribute to a launch: If there’s an upcoming product launch, the Jr. PMM could play a supporting role (depending on how your PMM team is structured). This could involve helping coordinate internal communications, building sales enablement tools, or drafting customer-facing messaging. It’s a great way for them to learn the launch process without fully owning it. 4. Provide insights from market research: At this point, they should be able to offer some early insights from their market research and competitor analysis, potentially helping the broader team fine-tune positioning or campaigns. Final 30 Days: Own initiatives and drive results By the third month, the Jr. PMM should be ready to take on more responsibility and start driving some results. This is where they can start owning initiatives and making more meaningful contributions. Examples could be: 1. Own an initiative: I’d encourage them to take full ownership of a product marketing initiative, whether it’s leading a smaller launch, creating a customer case study, or spearheading a new piece of sales enablement. This gives them a chance to showcase their skills and make a bigger impact. 2. Deliver sales enablement: By now, they should have enough understanding of the product and customers to deliver a piece of sales enablement—whether it’s a new deck, battle card, or training materials. It’s a great way for them to contribute to sales and marketing alignment. 3. Track and measure success: In their final 30 days, they should start thinking about how to measure the impact of their work. Whether it’s tracking the adoption of the sales enablement they created or helping set KPIs for a project they’re involved in, this will introduce them to the metrics-driven side of product marketing. 4. Continue building XFN relationships: They should keep building relationships across the company, establishing themselves as a go-to resource for product marketing support.