There's a certain 'something' that every great product marketer has that sets them apart from other team members within the organisation. I think it can be boiled down to five key skills. Here they are...

1. TOP 5 SKILLS OF THE AWESOME
PRODUCT MARKETER

2. MAKES THE COMPLEX,
SIMPLE
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3. There are several times
every week when the
product marketing manager
(PMM) will take a complex
idea and explain it in
beautifully simple terms.
This may be during a sales
enablement session, or
perhaps writing a product
brief.
Whenever it may be, those
listening or reading will
grasp the key points, absorb
and understand.

4. CREATIVE WITH
TECHNICAL ABILITY
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5. In a technology organisation the
PMM will often sit between the
Product Managers and
Marketing. They act as a
catalyst for communication bringing the voice of the
customer into the business, and
translating features into benefits
for outbound activities. This
requires both sides of the brain.
To properly articulate the 'why',
product marketing needs to be
able to appreciate the 'how'.
Good Product Marketing
Managers can grasp technical
concepts and communicate
them creatively with clarity.

6. HAS NATURAL EMPATHY
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7. Bringing in that customer voice is an
essential component of delivering product
that sells. To do this, empathy must be
naturally present.
Putting themselves in the place of the
customer, be that a user or a buyer, is the
only way to really understand the problem.
It's vital to feel the problem, not just hear it.
Great PMMs take the time to uncover the
pain points and spend time feeling how that
pain affects buyers. Ultimately that forms
the basis of delivering the most relevant
messaging around solving the problem.

8. ABLE TO FOCUS ON THE
TASK FROM WAY UP HIGH
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9. Product Marketing is a
strategic role but requires a
good level of tactical ability.
Developing go to market
strategy is as common as
writing a blog to support a
launch.
Those who are most effective
will be able to switch instantly
from thinking ahead and
building vision, to rolling up
the sleeves and getting the
job done.

10. A GREAT STORY TELLER
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11. Vision is essential. This is the very best
part about being a product marketer
and is also the most valuable skill any
product marketer can have.
PMMs are the story tellers of any
organisation. Look around. They'll be
the ones on their feet at industry
events, holding court in the staff
canteen, gesticulating wildly as they
explain why the business should be
excited about a new release.
When great product marketers
describe a bright and exciting future,
when they set out the clear steps to
achieving that future, when they do
so in a way that everyone
understands and buys in to, the entire
organisation will know where they
are going.

12. These are the five outstanding skills of a great product marketer.
If you have all five, you may well be
awesome
Andy Reid
Product Marketing Evangelist
@TheCXMguy
uk.linkedin.com/in/andyreid100