Product Marketing Managers (PMMs) are at the heart of bridging product and market success, yet the way they impact the business can vary drastically. Let’s dive into what sets apart bad, good, and great PMMs—and how to become an exceptional strategic force.
1. Understanding the Market and Customer
- Bad PMMs: Depend heavily on feedback from internal voices like executives or sales, missing the real pulse of the customer. They react to market dynamics instead of anticipating them.
- Good PMMs: Have a solid grasp of their customer personas and industry trends. They regularly gather structured feedback through surveys and customer conversations.
- Great PMMs: Evolve into recognized industry experts who predict shifts and spot new opportunities before they happen. They take a proactive approach to mapping out future customer needs and market changes. Example: A great PMM sets up an influential customer advisory board that continuously fuels insights for product innovation.
2. Influencing Product Roadmaps
- Bad PMMs: Passively follow the roadmap set by others, adding little strategic input. They become order-takers for feature requests from sales.
- Good PMMs: Use structured customer insights to influence product priorities and work collaboratively with product managers.
- Great PMMs: Drive roadmap discussions by tying customer insights directly to business strategy. They ensure that the most valuable features are prioritized, aligning with long-term goals. Example: A great PMM shifts the roadmap focus to game-changing features by showcasing data-backed insights to executive teams.
3. Go-To-Market Planning
- Bad PMMs: Scramble to create marketing assets when product or sales requests them, with no clear plan in place. Launch days are chaotic.
- Good PMMs: Build structured GTM plans, hold strategic alignment meetings, and assign clear KPIs for each launch.
- Great PMMs: Create comprehensive GTM blueprints that integrate deeply with company strategy, ensuring every department knows its role well ahead of launch day. Example: A great PMM develops a holistic GTM plan that synchronizes marketing, sales, and customer success for a seamless, impactful launch.
4. Communication and Influence
- Bad PMMs: Struggle to assert their ideas and often find themselves ignored or sidelined.
- Good PMMs: Gain buy-in by presenting clear, thought-out plans.
- Great PMMs: Cultivate an environment where teams feel ownership and are inspired to contribute ideas. They become trusted advisors who influence cross-functional teams. Example: A great PMM leads brainstorming sessions that galvanize team energy and spark innovative solutions.
5. Customer Feedback Utilization
- Bad PMMs: Collect anecdotal customer input without a clear plan to communicate or act on it.
- Good PMMs: Regularly gather and share actionable customer insights.
- Great PMMs: Transform feedback into strategic pivots and roadmap shifts, ensuring insights shape the product’s future. Example: A great PMM notices patterns in user behaviour and leverages them to fine-tune the product, keeping it ahead of trends.
6. Crisis Management
- Bad PMMs: Blame workload and deflect responsibility when things go south.
- Good PMMs: Maintain composure, owning their role during launches and setbacks.
- Great PMMs: Prepare for challenges with contingency plans, leading teams with confidence through turbulence. Example: A great PMM pre-emptively communicates potential risks and backup strategies to stakeholders.
7. Customer Journey and Experience
- Bad PMMs: Limit their focus to pre-launch deliverables, neglecting the full customer journey.
- Good PMMs: Ensure well-crafted materials and smooth launch execution.
- Great PMMs: Elevate every customer touchpoint, from initial engagement to onboarding and support, as an essential part of product success. Example: A great PMM collaborates with customer support and success teams to enhance post-launch experiences, driving long-term retention.
8. Work Prioritization
- Bad PMMs: Chase whatever noise is loudest, leading to disorganized workstreams.
- Good PMMs: Plan quarterly priorities in line with company objectives.
- Great PMMs: Set clear boundaries and align projects with the company’s strategic vision, focusing on high-impact work and saying “no” to misaligned initiatives. Example: A great PMM collaborates with leadership to prioritize work that aligns with core business goals and delivers significant value.
Key Takeaway for PMM Leaders
Transitioning from bad to good to great PMM is about going beyond execution to becoming a strategic leader. Great PMMs take ownership, influence roadmaps, craft impactful GTM strategies, and make every decision count toward the company’s long-term success. Aim to not just follow trends but to set them.