Have you ever started a new job only to feel like you were left to fend for yourself from day one? Unfortunately, that is a common experience for many people who start a new role at a company. It's not unusual for companies to have a less-than-stellar onboarding process, leaving new employees feeling overwhelmed, lost, and unmotivated.
This is particularly true for product marketing roles, which can be complex and involve supporting multiple teams with different needs. Product marketing supports the entire organization, including marketing, sales, product, and customer success teams. Product marketers need to have a deep understanding of the product, the market, and the target audience to create effective go-to-market strategies.
So, if you find yourself starting a new role in product marketing, it's essential to take ownership of your onboarding process to set yourself up for success. Here are ten steps to follow to successfully onboard yourself at a new company:
1. Mission and vision
Understand the company's mission and vision to align your work with the company's goals. It's essential to have a clear understanding of why the company exists, what it's trying to achieve, and how your role fits into the broader picture.
2. Know your product
It's critical to have an in-depth understanding of your product, its features, benefits, and limitations. Being able to demo the product is an effective way to learn its features and benefits while also getting familiar with the sales process.
3. Identify key stakeholders
Identify key stakeholders in different departments, such as sales, product, and customer success, to establish relationships early on. These relationships will help you understand each team's needs and work collaboratively towards common goals.
4. Know your competitors
Understanding the competitive landscape will help you position your product effectively. It's essential to know who your competitors are, what they offer, and how your product differentiates itself from theirs. Conducting a competitive analysis can help you identify gaps and opportunities.
5. Talk to your customers
Talking to customers can help you understand their needs, pain points, and motivations. This information can be used to develop effective messaging and campaigns.
6. Define a launch plan
Creating a launch plan will help you coordinate all the moving parts of a product launch, including the goals of the launch, messaging, positioning, target audience, and tactics. A launch plan ensures that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.
7. Audit your content
Take the time to audit existing content, such as sales collateral and website copy, to identify any gaps or opportunities for improvement. This will help ensure that all content is aligned with the product positioning and messaging and can help you identify quick wins to improve the customer experience.
8. Set up your communication channels
Effective communication is critical for effective product marketing. Establish clear communication channels with stakeholders to keep them informed about progress and milestones. Be proactive about sharing updates, challenges, and successes.
9. Create sales battlecards
Sales teams need to be equipped with the right information to sell the product effectively. Create battlecards that outline key product features, benefits, and positioning to help sales reps sell more effectively.
10. Put your positioning on paper
Having a clear and consistent positioning is essential for effective product marketing. Put the positioning on paper to create a single source of truth that everyone in the organization can refer to.
In conclusion, taking ownership of your onboarding process is critical to your success in a new product marketing role. By following these ten steps, you can develop a solid understanding of the product, market, and target audience, and create effective go-to-market strategies. Don't forget to check out my video, where I go into more detail about each of these steps and offer tips and best practices for each one. Good luck in your new role!