how to be the best PMM next year

It’s one of your earliest holiday memories, you’ve just opened an amazing gift from your parents, and you’re excited to get what else Santa brought you.

But then, you open the beautifully wrapped gift and get…a pair of socks

Disappointment hit you like a bad series finale (cough cough GOT anyone?)

Well, here are a few things to make sure you don’t end up “disappointed” by your product marketing task list in 2025 (and hopefully your Christmas presents!)

Welcome to the next episode of Dying 4 Influence. The weekly newsletter for misunderstood B2B product marketers.

Know how the best PMMs operate in B2B. Get a dose of knowledge to stand tall in a sea of unseasoned marketing.

If you’re a new skellie, you can sign up here and join the misfits.

🪨 Nobody wants coal, except if you need a fire 🔥

Most PMMs we talk to are getting the coal this time of year.

Budget reduction, projects stacking up, high expectations for Q1 of next year…

While all we want is just more ownership of strategy

But we’re stuck with sales decks, again 🫠

There’s a better way to reframe it and get what you want 👇

First, if doing a sales deck is considered coal, you need to understand how you can make a fire with it

Not an actual fire please (don’t sue me), but linking it directly to strategy

Start by asking these questions:

• What business opportunity would this slide deck help close?

• What strategic assets have you shared already with the prospect?

• What objections did they voice or what competitors have they been considering?

Basically, turn this simple request into a project that brings CONTEXT and UNDERSTANDING of what they are trying to accomplish

You don’t want to be a YES man/woman—you want to use the coal to create a fire and get this opp in the door

Then, you can just create a doc called: Sales deals influenced by product marketing

Later, this small doc will be the match that will start bigger initiatives (like research, positioning and pushing cross-department projects with Sales)

It’s all about reframing the situation

We had the misfits madness last week, a special episode with three talented PMMs. During this episode, we’ve discussed a few things:

• Product marketing has an identity crisis (and has been for quite a while)

• Product marketers leveraging AI will have a productivity edge over others

• Product marketing should focus on creating internal and external feedback loops

This is just a confirmation that to not be disappointed, you should start the next year with this:

1. Ask different departments what the biggest and quickest wins they want to achieve this year

2. Create a board with impact/time for each of them, you can also decide which departments you need more influence from too (it can pay to be biased)

3. Suggest different initiatives you can run together, and how these would benefit your value internally, but will also showcase what responsibilities you own

🎙Featured Episode (Double Trouble ⏩):
Simplifying stories and learning in Product Marketing w/ Peter Kortvel

We had the chance to sit down with Peter Kortvel, the creative mind behind Product Marketing Newsletter

Peter has worked as a video consultant, in startups, cofounded an IoT startup, has 13+ years of experience as a marketer, and believes in getting things done (we appreciate it too!).

In this episode, we’re covering:

• The importance of understanding your target audience

• Why research can help you communicate your product value

• The difference between storytelling and the format

• Challenges of PMMs and if they are marketers

• Common startup mistakes in messaging

• The best time to drink beer

Check the episode now:

Simplifying stories and learning in product marketing w/ Peter Kortvel

But, we also got last week's episode with the Misfit Madness, check it out here:

3 different ways of making your mark as a founding PMM? (especially when everything is against you)

✨ Naughty or Nice? 🎅

I know as PMMs, it’s easy to play the blame game.

But have you been naughty or nice this year?

🎅 Nice PMM Behaviors 🎁 

• I learned how to say "no" to ad-hoc requests without crying on mute.

• I turned "make it punchy" from a tagline into a way of life.

• I actually listened to a win-loss interview without trying to multitask.

• I gave sales ONE single source of truth instead of a graveyard of Google Docs.

• I politely rejected the CEO's suggestion to "just copy what [insert competitor] is doing."

• I got Product, Sales, and Marketing to agree on the ICP without needing a hostage negotiator.

• I tested messaging on real customers before declaring it "the winner."

• I made a useful product launch checklist, and everyone actually used it.

😈 Naughty PMM Behaviors 🔥 

• I wrote a one-pager for Sales at 4:59 PM on a Friday even though nobody asked for it.

• I said, "Messaging is done," but secretly knew it still had 27 feedback loops to go.

• I launched a campaign with zero data, hoping vibes would be enough to hit pipeline targets.

• I told Product, "Sure, I'll make it sound sexy," without even knowing what the feature does.

• I used the phrase "we're just repositioning" when I knew it was a total messaging Hail Mary.

• I ignored my ICP research in favor of what sounded cooler in the exec meeting.

• I committed to a deadline for Sales enablement before scoping the project.

• I sent a Slack ping saying "thoughts?" on a 30-page strategy deck... at 9 PM.

So, have you been naughty or nice this year? 👀

SAVE THE DATE FOR S4

So, we’re taking a quick break from newsletters and episodes until January 9th, 2024!

Then, we have 3 more episodes for you, with us three AND the awesome and just a chill guy, Devin Reed

After that, we’re taking a break and launching Season 4 on March 6th, 2025 🎙️💀💀