If you’re eager to move up the product marketing career ladder quickly, here are five tips to help you accelerate your progress. The specifics might vary depending on your products and sales model, but these principles are tried and true. I’ve found significant success with them in both individual roles and leadership positions.
1. Show Consistent Product Revenue Growth
Growing product revenue year-over-year is crucial. As a product marketer, focus on strategies and execution that drive this growth. Start by examining specific market segments, especially vertical industry segments. Identify which segments are thriving with your product and evaluate their future revenue potential. Once you’ve pinpointed your top 3-5 segments, create lead generation campaigns with tailored messaging. This will boost the sales pipeline and reflect positively in your revenue numbers.
2. Be a Positive Partner for Salespeople
It’s essential to be likable and optimistic. While you need to be realistic, avoid coming off as a pessimist. Salespeople appreciate when you make their job easier without requiring them to have deep product knowledge. My experience transitioning from pre-sales to product marketing taught me the value of understanding the sales process and customer insights. By educating the sales team about market segments with high demand for our product, and providing easy-to-remember talking points, I helped them appear credible and confident, resulting in better sales performance.
3. Think Creatively and Innovatively
During my first product marketing job, our company had unused custom modules developed for specific customer needs. A colleague and I decided to generate revenue from these by initiating a “try & buy” promotion using coupons, an unconventional idea at the time. Despite initial skepticism, the campaign’s success proved the value of thinking outside the box. Starting small minimized risk, but the eventual nationwide rollout brought in $1.2 million in just six months.
4. Simplify the Salesperson’s Job
More sales tools don’t necessarily equate to better results. Focus on developing a few highly effective tools that address common sales scenarios. Simplify complex situations, making it easier for salespeople to navigate with minimal effort.
5. Keep Things Simple
Salespeople thrive on efficiency. Ensure your product positioning is straightforward and aligned with your sales narratives. A unified message simplifies communication and increases effectiveness. Instead of overwhelming sales teams with detailed feature comparisons, provide a shortlist of key business outcomes and reasons why your product delivers better results than competitors. Clarity in your value proposition is key.
In summary, the core of advancing your career in product marketing lies in driving sales success and demonstrating leadership. Successful sales are evidence of your influence, while thinking innovatively shows your ability to lead. By guiding your sales team towards success, you’ll pave the way for your own career growth.
Note: Product Management University provides courses and resources to help you excel in product management, marketing, pre-sales demos, and customer success.