LeTisha Shaw

Whenever you are starting a new role, it's critical to understand what's important to your manager and what the objectives are for your new organization so you can align yourself well to them. Every company has a different onboarding plan, and for PMMs I think it's critical to get the lay of the land through meet and greets with the people you'll work with to hear first hand what is on their mind, so you can start to understand how you will work together. I also work with my manager to define what I can deliver as soon as possible to show impact to the organization. This is not PMM specific, but there is an app that I use called the "The First 90 days" which I use to help me think through different elements of my new role. The information is useful enough that you can adapt it to a PMM role. 

Yes, this is a pretty standard PMM interview question. When I ask, I am typically looking to see if the candidate understands product launch and go-to-market fundamentals. I'm also interested in which parts of the launch they led (i.e. was it a specific marketing channel or soup-to-nuts?). I also like to ask different variations of this question, like "tell me about a product launch that did not go well and you had to get back on track" because let's be honest, not every launch goes exactly the way we plan :)

I'd say presentation skills are pretty critical for a PMM. I've often heard other say that PMMs create "pretty slides" jokingly, but everyone knows we do far much more than that in developing positioning, messaging, enablement materials, etc. I'll I'd admit, I'm still working becoming a better presenter myself ;) Because we work in such a cross-functional manner, communication skills are pretty key and presentation skills are a tool in that arsenal. We are successful because we effectively share information that enables teams to go-to-market with products and this often take the form of presenting to others. One could say the most successful PMMs are also great at pitching and building trust with their counterparts which is a higer level skill in giving presentations. The good news is that presentation skills can be developed in many ways, from getting a Toastmasters certification to asking a presenter at your company that you admire to mentor. Start to study presentations and figure out why some are better than others. Since practice makes better, I'd also look for speaking opportunities outside of the company, at alumni events, industry meet ups, podcasts, etc. There are lots of opportunites out there.

I think this depends on your past work experience...are you an undergrad very little work experience or grad with several years of work experience? It's challenging to get a PMM role coming straight out of undergrad, mostly because when we look for entry-level PMMs, we look for people who have work experience in general marketing areas or have shown they have transferrable skills from functions that work closely PMM, such as Product or Customer Success, and this comes with several years or work experience. If you are looking to jump into PMM right after grad school and you have several years of marketing or other related experiences, you definitely have a leg up. I'd start by doing informational interviews with as many PMMs as you can to learn about the different types of roles out there. Speak with PMMs are different levels, hiring managers and individual contributors who can give you a good picture of what we do and what we're looking for. The responsibilities can vary by industry and size of company, and it's important to figure out in which type of role you think would be the best fit for you. If there are opportunities for interships or short-term projects, say yes to those as they can be resume builders and a way to get your foot in the door. 

The amount of deal support product marketers provide varies depending on their role within the organization. The level of involvement depends on company priorities, with the goal being to equip sales with the necessary insights and expertise. Some lean toward product-focused tasks, while others provide more sales and deal support. In the latter case, product marketers may join sales calls to present product demos, address questions about the product roadmap, or explain how a feature can solve the customer’s business problem. The level of deal support can also change over time as an organization grows and there are either more or less product marketers available for individual deal support on an ongoing basis. Listening to sales calls to uncover themes and leveraging enablement can be really effective ways to scale deal support when product marketing resources are stretched.

Choosing just three essential sales enablement collateral pieces can be tough because the needs of each team vary based on what they're selling and their buyer personas. That said, the goal is always to provide resources that move prospects through the funnel. Some of the most effective assets include email templates for outreach, demo videos that showcase your product in action, and case studies or success stories highlighting real-world results. Other valuable tools are tailored slide decks and detailed datasheets to support in-depth discussions.

The optimal cadence for creating and updating sales enablement content really depends on the type of content and how quickly things evolve in your market. For high-impact assets like case studies or demo videos, updating at least once or twice a year usually works, since these are tied to longer-term results. For things like email templates or product one-pagers, a more frequent review is helpful to stay current with messaging and product updates. I've never been on a team that we've had enough people to keep everything all perfectly up-to-date, so the key here is staying flexible and responsive to shifts in customer needs and sales feedback.

When enabling the team on small incremental features, I like to incorporate them into monthly or quarterly product update meetings alongside major releases. These enhancements, often driven by customer feedback, may not get the spotlight, but they’re valuable for the field team to know about. Offering recorded demos and help center content as resources gives them access when needed. The goal is to raise awareness and provide easy-to-find training for those features without overloading the team with too much live demo content.

Before tracking sales collateral usage, it’s important to know what you're tracking and why. This ensures you invest in the right solution. I personally find tools like Highspot extremely valuable because they not only track views but also provide insights into who has completed training and which documents are most frequently referenced. This helps prioritize updates and ensures the most relevant materials are being used effectively.

One common misconception about product marketing is that it's solely about aligning with the product and marketing teams, but it's just as important to align with sales. I've been lucky to work with great sales enablement teams, and early conversations about release plans and enablement strategies help ensure alignment. For teams with different business segments or regions, a one-size-fits-all approach may not work for enablement planning. Scheduling deeper dives with each team often helps get the traction needed.