What questions should you ask during your one-on-ones with the engineers and sales team during your first month at the company?

I interview them to get to know them first, why they joined the company, what they are excited about, what they oversee, what they need help in (their pain points) and I start mapping their needs and how we can work together. I spend the majority of my time having them explain to me the product and pain we are solving. They are SME’s (subject matter experts) at the company and I do a messaging & positioning interview – I take my positioning and messaging framework and turn this into my inter ...Read More

As a new product marketer, it is crucial that you establish effective communication and collaboration with both the engineering and sales teams during your first month. Conducting one-on-one meetings with members from both teams can provide you with vital information and insights to help you gain a better understanding of the product, market, and customer needs. Consider asking the questions below to gather the necessary information: Questions for Engineers: Product Overview: Can you provide a h ...Read More

I think the common questions you'd want to ask both of these teams are  1. Tell me about your role and your teams - how do you operate today? (Build context of how these teams work in this organization as it will likely look different from places you've previously worked, even if only slightly)  2. What is working well in your orgs, and what are areas that could use improvement. (Understand what challenges these teams face - and listen through the lens of how your team may fit into the solution. ...Read More

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 duri ...Read More