Monica Myers

One of the great things about Demand Gen is that there isn't a set path into it. For example, I started my career in sales and account management before transitioning over to marketing. While somewhat atypical, I've found having a sales background to be beneficial as I've grown my career in DG because it gave me a first hand look into what the sales and marketing relationship looks like from the other perspective, and a deep empathy for being quota carrying. I've worked with incredible DG marketers who have come to DG from different fields (both from other functions in marketing and fields outside of marketing) and landed on Demand Gen. My recommendation would be to think about how your skills in another field can transfer over to a Demand Gen role. Chances are they are transferable and will provide you with a differentiated view point because of them. Use that to your advantage!

My number one tip when building or scaling a Demand Gen function and team is to ensure that there is a clear path to measureable outcomes and impact across the DG team. While understanding impact and building a sense of accountability is important for all marketing functions, it's critical for Demand Gen. Regardless of how your company is structured, every Demand Generation member should have a set of tangible metrics and business outcomes that they are working towards. This is generally a pipeline target, but may vary. For example, if your company sets different pipeline targets across industries or product lines, you want to ensure that you have 100% coverage over those targets through the structure of your team, which requires mapping all team members to targets. While the metrics and goals will differ depending on scope of the role, all should be connecting back up to key goals and objectives for the broader business.

Demand Gen is such a fun role (I know, I'm biased) because of the split because art and science. DG provides a unique opportunity to get creative and strategic in crafting new campaigns and programs, while also definitively measuring impact and analyzing results. As such, some of the best Demand Gen marketers I've hired and worked with contain a true passion for that combination, and with that, a deep sense of accountability and ownership over the success of those programs.

Congratulations! This is an important moment because you have the unique opportunity to truly define how the Demand Gen team functions at your company. Demand Gen can mean different things to different people, so I recommend creating a clear strategy for what it means for you and your company, and clearly and proactively communicating that across your company, particularly with your key stakeholders in sales, product marketing, content marketing, executive team, etc. DG plays such a powerful role in a company's growth and it is important to frequently share the impact of the work that you are doing, and ensuring that those results get the visibility they deserve. This could mean presenting key results out each week at your company's all-hands, or hosting frequent lunch and learns to share highlights from your work. Doing this early will ensure that your company has a strong understanding of the value that DG can provide from the start. 

Demand Generation sits at a critial intersection of the business, and as such, holds an important responsiblity to ensure that stakeholders and business leaders have access to key metrics. That said, different stakeholders and departments of a company often require information shared in customized ways that ensure that those updates are relevant and actionable to their area of focus. For example, the updates you provide to sales leadership will differ from the updates you provide to the product team. Content leaders may look to understand what content is performing and what trends can be identified for future content development, whereas product marketers will find more value in insights into how an ICP is responding to different messaging and value props. It's critical to think about your intended audience and what is most relevant to them, and to communicate impact in that way. At a company wide level, the most relevant updates usually involve the impact that DG is having on overall business outcomes and the north star of the company. Keep it simple, impactful, and specific to your audience. 

I love this question because, while prioritizing quick wins is often emphasized in a 30/60/90-day plan, it can sometimes feel ambiguous. In general, I define quick wins as easy-to-execute changes that either significantly improve performance or save the company money and resources. While quick wins will vary for each business, here are a few key areas to focus on: * Budget Savings – Review budget line items and historical performance. Are there channels or campaigns with high spend but low results? Do any misalign with the company’s ICP or strategy? If so, pause them and reinvest the budget into higher-impact areas. * Landing Page Optimization – The post-click experience is often overlooked. Can you make simple changes to improve conversion rates? If certain landing pages underperform, consider turning them off and leveraging lead-gen forms instead. * Reporting & Insights – Build reporting that answers key business questions. Many teams love dashboards but need help creating them. This is an area where DG can provide immediate value. * Strengthening Sales & DG Alignment – While this may take longer than the other quick wins, start early in establishing an ongoing feedback loop with sales. Deepening trust between sales and marketing—and regularly sharing insights—will drive long-term impact.

I've had success working with DG agencies across paid media, operations, and lifecycle, as well as challenges, and have learned a few key strategies to make these relationships as productive as possible. Most importantly, when working with third parties, accountability is everything. Here is how I create it: * Clear KPIs: Before signing a contract with a new agency, I require mutually agreed-upon KPIs so both parties have clear expectations from the start. These serve as a valuable reference point throughout the engagement. * Onboarding like an employee: Since agencies aren’t internal, their approach can sometimes misalign with company strategy. To minimize this, I expect agency partners to onboard as much like an internal employee as possible. Ideally, this includes everything from listening to sales demos to reviewing key documentation (ICP, messaging, positioning, value props, etc.). * Connect the dots: To set agencies up for success, I ensure they have visibility into what’s working across other channels and what’s on the roadmap. I also introduce them to internal team members to foster alignment—whether they’re focused on paid media, operations, or another function. The common theme across the points above is trying to reduce the disconnect that exists by nature of being a third party. If you are going to spend the time and energy evaluating different agencies, moving them through legal and procurement, and onboarding them, make sure you are setting both parties up for success from the start.

I approach a 30/60/90-day plan with this general framework in mind: In the first 30 days, focus on understanding the foundations of the business. By 60 days, start executing quick wins. By 90 days, establish a rhythm of proving impact and scalability. 30 Days: Lay the Foundation * Understand the pitch – Listen to as many product demos as possible to grasp its value to customers. If it's a sales-led motion, listen to demos from different reps to identify common themes and patterns. * Dive into the data – Understand the company’s most critical objectives and start mapping out ways Demand Generation (DG) can influence them. Review all existing reports, and document any data gaps that need to be addressed. * Build relationships – Spend time with key stakeholders, especially sales. Identify recurring opportunities and challenges from your conversations. * Write everything down! – Having fresh eyes when joining a company is a huge advantage. People want to hear your initial observations before you acclimate and start seeing things as “business as usual.” Document anything that stands out during onboarding and reference this list as you shape your OKRs. 60 Days: Take Action * Execute quick wins – By now, you should have a list of opportunities. Categorize them into quick wins and longer-term projects. Start executing quick wins to prove your value and establish a reputation for excellence and impact. * Build the reporting you need – Now that you’ve audited existing reports, create the dashboards and metrics necessary to track DG outcomes and demonstrate impact. * Establish a regular cadence with sales – Foster ongoing collaboration with sales by sharing insights and gathering feedback early and often. 90 Days: Scale & Prove Impact * Document and share your insights & impact – Summarize your key learnings, observations, and early wins in a doc or slide deck. Share it with stakeholders, especially your CMO and executive leadership. DG should be top-of-mind for them! * Execute, execute, execute – Tackle your top priorities based on your audits, conversations, and reporting. Focus on proving measurable impact as quickly as possible.

Think of the 30/60/90-day plan as a framework for onboarding and ramping up both yourself and your Demand Gen function. It shouldn’t be so rigid that you can’t adapt as you learn more about the company and its needs, but it also shouldn’t be so vague that it doesn’t help you or your manager with your initial roadmap. If it feels like it's not adding value, feel free to pivot. You might find another framework that works better for you than a 30/60/90-day plan. If you do decide to use one, here’s the general structure I recommend: * First 30 days: Focus on understanding the foundations of the business. * By 60 days: Begin executing quick wins. * By 90 days: Establish a rhythm of proving impact and scalability.