How do I create value for Sales to encourage them to want to include me in the prospect discovery calls?

As PMM becomes more prominent in the industry, I think it's important to establish what our roles are. The last thing you want to be is a catch all for sales, or end up helping them run their discovery calls. The fine balance between creating the value, but still stepping back enough from the sales calls so the teams can learn to do it on their own is important. Thus to do this, I like to position myself as the strategic partner that comes in when needed, meaning we can come in to answer industr ...Read More

I am going to expand the question to be about being included in customer calls in general, not just discovery calls. Personally, I don't think PMMs should be in discovery calls. These calls are often with prospects , with no relationship leverage. If you as a PMM want to learn about what happens in a discovery call, just use a tool like Gong or Chorus If you don't have access to Gong, and you really want to be on a sales call to learn, here are three framings you can use with your sales counterp ...Read More

Build relationships: The easiest and most straightforward way to get added to these calls is by having strong relationships with the folks hosting the calls. Invest in getting to know your Sales team - spend time with them at the office, attend their offsites/social events, make sure they know who you are and what you're here to do. Demonstrate a tangible value add: When you first start, show Sales what you can concretely add to a call. It could be as simple as taking notes for them, or more com ...Read More

Working with sales is a collaborative effort; when you offer them assistance, they're more inclined to involve you in discovery calls. Here are some strategies that have proven effective for me in fostering strong relationships with sales: Show up in the calls as the product expert: Deepen your knowledge of the product so you can provide valuable insights during prospect interactions. Whether it's troubleshooting, sharing best practices, demonstrating ROI metrics, or sharing use cases from other ...Read More

Sales can be protective of their calls with customers. When trying to get involved in a customer call, be specific with your ask and clear what the customer will get out of your attendance. Are you inviting them to an exclusive program, are you inviting them to provide feedback on a beta offering, are you interested in getting candid feedback about a specific use case. Being clear on your "why" will help ensure the sales manager can position your needs correctly, and ensure the client sees value ...Read More