Product Marketing can be a strategic role, but Product Marketers need to understand how they can achieve that. This presentation provides 4 high level strategies to follow to increase the value of Product Marketing in your company.

1. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Optimizing
Product Marketing
in your
Company
Saeed Khan
April 9, 2016
www.OnProductManagement.net @saeedwkhan, @onpm

2. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016

3. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016

4. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
How to Optimize Product Marketing
Define it and truly understand the goals
of product marketing
Organize it correctly and staff it with
the right people
Implement clear, efficient and
repeatable communication models
Track, measure and optimize
1.
2.
3.
4.

5. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF
PRODUCT
MARKETING?

6. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
PRODUCT MARKETING
IS STRATEGIC MARKETING AT
THE PRODUCT OR PRODUCT
LINE LEVEL WITH A FOCUS ON
THE BUYING PROCESS

7. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
PRODUCT MARKETING
IS A CROSS FUNCTIONAL
DISCIPLINE, AT THE CENTER
OF PROUCT, SALES,
MARKETING, PROSPECTS,
INFLUENCERS AND BUYERS

8. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
PRODUCT
MARKETING
Product
Marketing
Sales
Prospect
Buyer
Influencer

9. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
PRODUCT MARKETING
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR:
1. DEVELOPING POSITIONING, MESSAGING,
COMPETITIVE DIFFERENTIATION &
LAUNCH PLANS
2. ENABLING THE SALES AND MARKETING
TEAMS TO ENSURE THEY ARE ALIGNED
AND WORK EFFICIENTLY TO GENERATE
AND CLOSE OPPORTUNITIES.

10. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
HOW SHOULD
PRODUCT MARKETING
BE STAFFED & ORGANIZED?

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SUPERHEROES?

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ROCK STARS?

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HIRE
THE RIGHT PEOPLE INTO
THE RIGHT ROLES & EXECUTE ON
THE RIGHT ACTIONS

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DO
THIS

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NOT
THIS

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HAVE
DIFFERENTIATED
ROLES ON THE TEAM

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ALIGN ROLES WITH
BUSINESS/SALES
DRIVERS AND GOALS
NOT SIMPLY BY
PRODUCT

19. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
PRODUCT
MARKETING
Product
Marketing
Sales
Prospect
Buyer
Influencer
Technical
Product
Marketer
Solution
Product
Marketer
Product
Marketing
Director Competitive
Analyst

20. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016

21. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016

22. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016

23. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
IMPLEMENT
CLEAR, EFFICIENT
AND REPEATABLE
COMMUNICATION MODELS

24. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
COMMUNICATION PATHWAYS
Product
Strategy
Product
Management
Engineering
Product
Marketing
Marketing
Sales &
Alliances
Professional
ServicesTechnical
Support
Technical
Presales
Industry
Analysts
Technology
Partners
Offshore
Developers Customers
System
Integrators
OEM
Partners
PR
Agencies
VARs
Distributors

25. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Management
Offshore
Developers
Technology
Partners
Industry
Analysts
VARs
Distributors
OEM
Partners
System
Integrators
Customers
PR
Agencies
Product
Strategy
Engineering
Technical
Support
Technical
Presales
Product
Marketing
Professional
Services
Sales &
Alliances
Marketing
Each “Team” includes many people and interactions
Inter-Team Communication

26. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Inter-Team Communication
And those people are likely spread across the globe
Copyright © Saeed Khan 2010

27. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
How do people “manage” this today?
• Tracking Software
• Status meetings, Conf Calls
• Emails, Spreadsheets
• Shared Folders, Portals
• Dashboards, Webinars
• Micro-sites, Portlets
• “It’s up on Sharepoint”

28. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Inter-Team Communication
This happens
for every release
of every product
your company sells

29. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Is this communication
model timely, complete
and accurate?
Possibly.

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Is this communication
model efficient,
adaptive and scalable?
Absolutely not!

31. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Communication is like
Manufacturing.
So what can we learn from
Lean Manufacturing?

32. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Lean Production
• Lean is a production practice that
considers the expenditure of
resources for any goal other than the
creation of value for the end
customer to be wasteful, and thus a
target for elimination.
Source: Wikipedia

33. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Lean Production
• Working from the perspective of the
customer who consumes a product or
service, "value" is defined as any action
or process that a customer would be
willing to pay for.
• Basically, lean is centered on preserving
value with less work.
Source: Wikipedia

34. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Principles of Lean
• Focus on the (information) customer
• Empower the team
• Optimize the whole
• Plan for change
• Build Quality In
• Continuously improve
• Eliminate waste

35. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Creating a Lean Process
1. Specify what creates value from the customers
(audience) perspective
2. Identify all the steps along the process chain
3. Make those processes flow
4. Make only what is pulled by the customer
(audience)
5. Strive for perfection by continually removing
waste

36. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Who needs information?
What do they need?
When do they need it?
Who must provide it?
How is it optimally delivered?
Flow of Information and Communication
Copyright © Saeed Khan 2010

37. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management
Engineering
Product
Marketing
Marketing
Sales &
Alliances
Professional
ServicesTechnical
Support
Technical
Presales
Industry
Analysts
Technology
Partners
Offshore
Developers Customers
System
Integrators
OEM
Partners
PR
Agencies
VARs
Distributors
One Information Chain

38. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain

39. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Start with the end “customer”

40. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?

41. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain
What does the product do?
Who can benefit from it?
What are those benefits?
How is it licensed?
How is it positioned versus
the alternatives?
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?

42. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
What market problems do we address?
How can we outflank our competitors?
What product changes do we make to
maximize revenue?
What are the objectives of the release?
What does the product do?
Who can benefit from it?
What are those benefits?
How is it licensed?
How is it positioned versus
the alternatives?
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?

43. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Information Needs along the Chain
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
What market problems do we address?
How can we outflank our competitors?
What product changes do we make to
maximize revenue?
What are the objectives of the release?
What does the product do?
Who can benefit from it?
What are those benefits?
How is it licensed?
How is it positioned versus
the alternatives?
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Do the product goals
support overall business
objectives?
How can we grow our
existing customer base?
What market changes
will we have to react to?
What go-to-market
strategy do we need?

44. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Deliverables Created In the Chain
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
What market problems do we address?
How can we outflank our competitors?
What product changes do we make to
maximize revenue?
What are the objectives of the release?
What does the product do?
Who can benefit from it?
What are those benefits?
How is it licensed?
How is it positioned versus
the alternatives?
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Market Assessment
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Competitive Landscape

45. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Deliverables Created In the Chain
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
Market Requirements
Problem Statements
Competitive Analysis
Product Roadmap
Release Overview
What does the product do?
Who can benefit from it?
What are those benefits?
How is it licensed?
How is it positioned versus
the alternatives?
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Market Analysis
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Competitive Landscape

46. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Deliverables Created In the Chain
I need a data sheet and
technical collateral
I need SKUs and pricing
information
I need an ROI calculator
Who are the reference
accounts I can provide?
Market Requirements
Problem Statements
Competitive Analysis
Product Roadmap
Release Overview
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Market Analysis
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Competitive Landscape
Product Positioning
Data Sheets
White Papers
Price books
Success Stories
Sales Tools

47. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Deliverables Created In the Chain
Market Requirements
Problem Statements
Competitive Analysis
Product Roadmap
Release Overview
Does the product meet my needs?
Will it work in my environment?
What are the costs?
What are the benefits?
Market Analysis
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Competitive Landscape
Product Positioning
Data Sheets
White Papers
Price books
Success Stories
Sales Tools
Product Presentations
ROI Analysis
Customer Business Case
Proof of Concept

48. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Product
Strategy
Product
Management Product
Marketing Sales &
Alliances
Customers
Deliverables Created In the Chain
Product Presentations
ROI Analysis
Customer Business Case
Proof of Concept
Market Requirements
Problem Statements
Competitive Analysis
Product Roadmap
Release Overview
Product Positioning
Data Sheets
White Papers
Price books
Success Stories
Sales Tools
RFI/RFP
Business Justification
Implementation Plan
Market Analysis
Product Strategy
Technology Strategy
Competitive Landscape

49. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
MAP INTO DECISION PROCESS
FROM SUSPECT TO CHAMPION
PROSPECT
EVALUATOR
BUYER
INFLUENCER
CHAMPION
THE CHAMPION’S JOURNEY

50. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Structure the information
Suspect Prospect Evaluator Buyer Influencer Champion
Goals
Required
Information
Go forward
Decision
Needed
Content
Delivery
Mechanism
Who are the people (roles) at each stage?
How can we best deliver the information for easiest consumption?
How can we make it AS EASY AS POSSIBLE for them to
achieve their goals?

51. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
TRACK
MEASURE
OPTIMIZE

52. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
• How do you know how well you are
doing?
• What kind of metrics do you track in
Product Marketing?
• Do you track anything?
– Pipeline? Opportunities? Sales?
– Tweets? Likes? Hearts?

53. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
What kind of Metrics are meaningful?
THINK META
If someone is measuring distance,
you need measure VELOCITY
If someone is measuring velocity,
you need to measure ACCELERATION
What are the metrics that will
Predict/Drive/Enhance the
downstream metrics.

54. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
What kind of Metrics are meaningful?
If Marketing measures the # of people
entering the sales funnel
Product Marketing should measure how
FAST they are moving through the sales
funnel
– What can you do to help them move faster?
– What barriers are they facing?
– Why are they dropping out?
– What prevents them from moving faster?

55. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
What kind of Metrics are meaningful?
Are your employees using the right
content? If so, who, when and how?
If not why not?
Can you improve this over time?
Treat this process like a product?
V1 must work, but it won't be great.
V2 will be better
V3 will be even better

56. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
It's a competition for mindshare
And remember that your
competitors are competing for
that same mindshare.
If they can do this job better than
you, they will win.

57. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
SUMMARY
1. DEFINE PRODUCT MARKETING AND
UNDERSTAND IT’S GOALS
2. ORGANIZE IT CORRECTLY AND STAFF IT
WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE
• Differentiated Roles, T-shaped Teams
3. IMPLEMENT CLEAR, EFFICIENT &
REPEATABLE COMMUNICATION MODELS
• Lean manufacturing model, Champions Journey
4. TRACK, MEASURE AND OPTIMIZE
• Think Meta, Battle for mindshare

58. Copyright © Saeed Khan 2016
Optimizing
Product Marketing
in your
Company
Saeed Khan
April 9, 2016
www.OnProductManagement.net @saeedwkhan, @onpm