AMA: ServiceNow Director, Platform and AI Product Marketing, Sharadhi (Gadagkar) Patel on Stakeholder Management

I made a similar jump and learned that what matters most is not whether you’ve done enterprise before, but whether you can think strategically, influence cross-functionally, and tell a compelling story that resonates up and across. Start by showing you understand how enterprise buyers think and buy, even if you haven’t marketed to them directly. Enterprise PMM isn’t just about bigger logos, it’s about longer more strategic sales cycles, more stakeholders, deeper product integration, and risk mit ...Read More

Quick wins is one of the most important ways to build trust fast. Here are some lightweight ways I've used to create value for core, cross-functional teams: Product:– Jump in to help prep internal or exec slides for a launch, often a pain point for PMs.– Share customer feedback that helps prioritize or validate a roadmap decision. Sales:– Tighten messaging in a key pitch deck.– Record a short video walking through how to position a new feature. Customer Success:– Create a quick QBR slide that sh ...Read More

This is a muscle you will continue to flex, anytime you start a new role or at a new company. Soft skills go a long way here. When you're new, your best strategy is to listen first, then add value fast. I always start by trying to understand and empathize with each stakeholder’s world...what pressures they’re under, how they define success, and where they feel stuck. At ServiceNow, I made a point to ask, “What’s one thing I could help with right away?” That often led to quick wins: better messag ...Read More

This is a great question, and I've seen so many projects get stalled because of "too many cooks in the kitchen". I've found the key is to listen broadly, but decide decisively. Early on, I cast a fairly wide net: I want to hear from product, sales, CS, marketing, especially if the decision impacts multiple teams. But eventually, more feedback just adds noise, not clarity. I look for convergence. When multiple people raise the same themes, that’s usually signal. Once feedback starts to diverge or ...Read More

Stakeholder priorities aren’t static, they should change based on company goals, your role, and where there are the biggest gaps. I always start by asking: "What outcomes am I responsible for? " Then I work backward to identify which teams or individuals are most critical to achieving those outcomes. For example, if I’m focused on a new product launch, product and sales leadership might be my top stakeholders. If the priority shifts to scaling adoption or driving more revenue, CS or demand gen m ...Read More

The nature of enterprise deals is that each one will be a little different, that’s the biggest shift when selling upstream. You’re navigating complex buying groups, custom requirements, and often, unique internal politics. That’s exactly where PMM can shine. Our job isn’t to create one-size-fits-all messaging, it’s to equip teams with the toolbox of building blocks to adapt. That means things like modular messaging frameworks, persona-based value props, competitive differentiation, objection han ...Read More