Follow us on LinkedInThe vibe
The 2023 Chicago PMA Summit was held in the northern section of Fulton Market in the Convene – a sleek (yet cozy) space designed like a modern hotel.
When I got there, I was surprised to learn there were other Summits going on for PMA’s sister communities Sales Enablement Collective and Revenue Operations Alliance.
What a unique opportunity to turn breakfast into a chance for networking with chief revenue officers, sales enablement practitioners, and revenue operation pros!
The PMA Summit included people from the Chicagoland area and beyond – including PMMs from as far away as Los Angeles, Boston, Indianapolis, and Cleveland.
So, what was it like?
It was a two-day event that included a varied mix of topics and presenters. Each session employed one of the following formats:
- An expert presenter using a deck.
- Panel sessions with a handful of experts and a moderator.
- An interactive group activity led by a facilitator.
All sessions included a Q&A, either via Slido or with a mic.
Why’d I attend?
Networking, networking, networking. Oh, and to learn best practices, too!
Full transparency, I’m searching for my next director of product marketing role at a B2B SaaS company. I’m also running a PMM consulting practice and am always on the hunt for new clients and collaborators.
What better place to network than the Product Marketing Summit?
There were a ton of opportunities for networking between breakfast, lunch, and happy hour. Plus, you could also chat with the folks sitting at your table during the sessions
Pro tips to maximize networking:
- Define your networking goal and craft an elevator pitch around it.
- Network with people from the other Summits – you never know who you’ll meet!
- Change tables a few times throughout the day, say every three sessions or so, to maximize the number of people you meet.
- During meals, try joining groups from different Summits to expand beyond the PMM sphere.
The most electrifying session
All the sessions were incredible, but the first session was a shock to the system.
Jason Lord, VP of Product Marketing at TransUnion, kicked things off by emphatically stating that “corporate life is bullshit.” “BS” became the common theme throughout his presentation, and he left us with three golden nuggets:
- Stop being boring.
- Stop hiring the same kinds of people and expecting different results.
- Stop expecting meaning from a system that doesn’t have any (except for maximizing profit).
It was a great reminder to stand out – I know I’ll never forget his presentation.
A spicy take on product narratives
PMMs get told to “create a new category” every other breath. Taryn Knowles, Senior Director of Product Marketing at Workiva, disagrees with that mandate.
Her advice?
“You can’t just build a category. It has to fulfill a marketplace gap and lean into pains and consequences.”
What a reaffirming message for all PMMs that have had to persuade leadership to avoid going down the category creation path, right?
Natasha Janic, Sr. Product Marketing Manager at Clari, also shared a great one-liner that’s been living rent-free in my mind: “Say it straight. Then say it great.”
She suggests just getting the product narrative down and then switching your focus to making it sound great. I wish I’d heard this advice a decade ago – it would have saved me a ton of time.
Raising prices on a billion-dollar book of business
You better believe I was paying attention when Josh Bean, Sr. Director of Product Marketing at Zendesk, started sharing his glorious pricing wisdom.
Along with a handy pricing framework (check out the photo), Josh also shared a shortcut PMMs can use for selecting the exact percentage by which to raise prices.
The magic number? 12%.
(Check out recent price increases by Netflix, Disney, etc. for proof)
Oh, and he suggested we all implement discount recapture programs ASAP – essentially rightsizing prices for customers that have substantial discounts in place. This has two benefits – first, it increases revenue now, and secondly, when it’s time to raise prices, those customers won’t experience a huge price jump.
The Chicago PMA Summit was chock-full of frameworks, best practices, and nuggets of wisdom just like this one.
Chloe Cucinotta, Director of Product Marketing for Docker, agrees. She walked away having “gained insights from new frameworks that provide opportunities for more GTM experimentation.”
She also mentioned that the Summit “reinforced the importance of an inclusive work environment where everyone is encouraged to bring their authentic selves.”
Fantastic takeaway and a topic that also came up in Stu’s session about promotions. (More on that in a sec!)
How to finally get that director of PMM role
Ever see a framework and think – “Dang, that’s incredible!”?
If you want that feeling again, check out how Stu Kendall, Director of Product Marketing at Foursquare, outlined the differences between a PMM and a director of PMM and what it takes to make the jump.
Want to get promoted?
Stu suggested developing a broader understanding of other areas of the business, including product, marketing, success, sales, and the overall company.
Along with that, he recommended making a mindset shift to treat your work output like a product and position yourself accordingly.
Handy chart, right? I’ll definitely be sharing this with PMMs interested in climbing up the ladder.
Sense of community
One thing that snuck up on me was the sense of community I started to feel.
It hit me early on. PMMs shared their challenges, successes, and aspirations and I couldn’t help but smile – they were speaking my language.
These were my people.
It made me daydream about how powerful it would be to have hundreds of PMMs backing me up the next time I have a tough conversation with sales, product, or leadership.
I spoke with Meg Murphy, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Visual Lease, who shared a similar feeling. She said:
“Working remotely it’s easy to start to feel isolated – like the problems I’m working through are unique. I came to this event for best practices, but what I walked away with was validation - not only that my approaches are sound, but that best practices are never perfectly implemented. Plus, I have a community of PMMs excited to share the way they worked through the same blockers. I’m so energized and inspired by this community.”
She also mentioned that, generally, PMMs tend to talk about initiatives that go well.
This summit was different – people were publicly vulnerable and spoke about what they learned from their failures. As Meg put it:
“I actually got more from the mistakes shared than the best practices – so much of what we do is about managing nebulous projects and competing priorities and difficult personalities. The soft skill lightbulb moments were perhaps the most invaluable.”Presenters got a ton out of the conference, too. Bryan Elanko, Senior Product Marketing Manager at CloudBees, presented a tool that helps PMMs more deeply understand buyer centers.
He shared how exciting it was to present because “every product marketer you meet at a PMA summit wants to explore new ideas and elevate the whole profession at their workplace.”
Bryan received “excellent feedback from various attendees and rediscovered the benefits of always sharing what you learn with the broader community."
Maybe you should consider presenting at the next Product Marketing Summit!
See you at the next one?
Bottom line – the summit was a fantastic opportunity for networking with other PMMs and learning best practices.
For me, it was a gold mine.
- I met three PMMs running their own product marketing consultancies that I’m following up with to see how we can collaborate and partner moving forward.
- I also met a recruiter who said we should connect to discuss director of PMM roles opening soon.
- Oh, and I met a potential candidate for a role I’m helping a client fill!
As if that wasn’t enough, I walked away with a ton of best practices and new ideas that I’m going to take with me into my next role and use with my consulting clients.
So, see you next time?
