#189: Product Marketing | Are Product Marketers Actually Marketers? with We're Not Marketer's Podcast

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Oct 31, 2024

Dave Gerhardt, Founder of Exit Five and former CMO, joins the hosts Zach Roberts, Eric Holland, and Gab Bujold. They delve into Dave's transition from marketing manager to CMO, emphasizing the vital role of product marketing. Topics include the pitfalls of “messaging by committee,” the significance of building trust in startups, and the complexities of effective positioning. They also explore how product marketers can simplify B2B strategies and why personal connections matter in this landscape, all with a blend of humor and practical insights.

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INSIGHT

Positioning Is The 80% Leverage

Positioning and messaging are the single biggest drivers of marketing success in B2B.
Dave Gerhardt argues product marketing owning positioning delivers the 80% difference to great marketing.

ADVICE

Own Story And Ship Fast

In early-stage companies, combine the promoter and product marketing roles to own story and distribution.
Create V1 homepage copy and a five-slide sales deck quickly and iterate from there.

ADVICE

Break Committees — Agree And Commit

Avoid ‘messaging by committee’ and disagree and commit with one or two owners.
Get a CEO partner to give autonomy and move forward instead of chasing consensus.

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In this episode, Dave is a guest on the We're Not Marketers podcast, hosted by Zach Roberts (Founder of Break Into Product Marketing), Eric Holland (current Product Marketer at Klue), and Gab Bujold (Founder at Press X to Market). They sit down to talk about Dave’s journey in B2B marketing—from marketing manager to CMO—hosting a podcast for B2B marketing, and organizing Exit Five’s first-ever in-person event, Drive in Burlington. Plus, Dave answers one important question: Are product marketers actually marketers?

We’re Not Marketers and Dave also cover:

One way “frameworks” might hurt your product storytelling.
Why you can’t just start a podcast in B2B without this obvious skill?
What Dave said is “the most important role in B2B marketing”.
Don’t tell sales “what to do”. They almost never listen. Do this instead.
Why “messaging by committee” sucks.
Good news! The "80% difference" to great B2B marketing, uses two common PMM skills.
How can we (product marketers) simplify B2B marketing

Timestamps

(01:05) - Dave's Journey and Podcasting Tips
(05:26) - The Importance of Product Marketing
(07:24) - Early Stage Marketing Strategies
(14:37) - Building Trust and Influence in Startups
(21:32) - Positioning and Messaging Challenges
(25:50) - Addressing the Decline in Win Rate
(27:44) - Importance of Executing Positioning
(28:17) - Casual Conversation and Personal Interests
(29:18) - Messaging Torture Chamber
(29:51) - Marketing Strategies: Brand vs. Content
(31:34) - Event Marketing Insights
(33:19) - Simplifying B2B Marketing
(36:58) - The Role of Podcasts in B2B Marketing
(43:43) - Conclusion and Upcoming Events

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