#189: Product Marketing | Are Product Marketers Actually Marketers? with We're Not Marketer's Podcast
Oct 31, 2024
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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.
Dave emphasizes the critical role of product marketing in shaping effective narratives that enhance B2B marketing success and influence.
Collaborative alignment between product marketing and sales is essential, leveraging real-world feedback to refine strategies and build trust in startups.
Data-driven repositioning of products is vital when addressing market clarity issues, ensuring that changes reflect customer needs and align with sales strategies.
Deep dives
Leveraging Calendly for B2B Marketing
Calendly is positioned as a critical tool for B2B marketing teams looking to enhance speed in lead conversion processes. By allowing prospects to book meetings directly through forms on websites, it eliminates the need for prolonged follow-up interactions. This approach facilitates immediate engagement with potential clients, ensuring that sales teams connect with leads at their peak interest. The integration capabilities with popular platforms like Salesforce and HubSpot further streamline the sales process, thus increasing overall operational efficiency.
The Importance of Product Marketing
Positioning and messaging are crucial aspects of product marketing, regarded as the most vital roles within the marketing framework. Effective product marketing focuses on controlling the narrative around a company's offerings, which, if done correctly, can significantly influence marketing success. It is important not only to promote existing messages but also to continuously refine those messages to suit market dynamics. A strong relationship between product marketing and leadership can foster a culture of innovation and responsiveness, significantly impacting a company's trajectory.
Building Relationships with Sales Teams
Collaboration between product marketing and sales is emphasized as essential for marketing success. By aligning marketing efforts to support sales objectives, product marketers can better ensure their strategies resonate with both the sales force and the customer base. For product marketers working in startups, gaining trust from sales leadership through demonstrated results and collaborative initiatives can pave the way for having a stronger influence on key decisions, including positioning and messaging changes. Engaging directly with sales enables product marketers to refine their strategies based on real-world feedback, thus driving more effective results.
Navigating Positioning Challenges
When repositioning a product that has seen declining market clarity, leading with data is vital to support the proposed changes. By demonstrating the shortcomings of current positioning through metrics such as win rates, marketers can build a compelling case for reevaluation. Involving sales heads in the brainstorming stages empowers marketers to ensure that the new positioning aligns with customer needs and sales strategies. Continuous communication throughout the positioning process, along with showing iterative progress, helps in achieving buy-in from all stakeholders.
The Role of Content Creation in Marketing
Content creation remains a pivotal strategy for building brand awareness and generating leads, particularly through channels like podcasting. While there may not be immediate sales conversions from such initiatives, positioning content as part of a broader marketing strategy can create long-term value. Successfully integrating podcasts or content into the marketing mix can establish thought leadership and foster buyer connections, leading to eventual sales through enhanced brand loyalty. Combining immediate tactical actions with long-term content strategies can help maintain momentum while building a robust brand presence.
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
(06:09) - The Importance of Product Marketing
(08:07) - Early Stage Marketing Strategies
(15:20) - Building Trust and Influence in Startups
(22:15) - Positioning and Messaging Challenges
(26:33) - Addressing the Decline in Win Rate
(29:06) - Importance of Executing Positioning
(29:39) - Casual Conversation and Personal Interests
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Thanks to my friends at hatch.fm for producing this episode and handling all of the Exit Five podcast production.
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