From Hermits to Customer-Obsessed Wizards: Vision Part 3

Why and how Cyber PMMs should begin prioritizing customer insights above every other activity.

In this third part of setting a Cyber PMM vision, I'm diving into how Cyber PMMs need to transform from being hermits to becoming customer-obsessed wizards. This really is the bread and butter of product marketing – knowing and amplifying the voice of the customer. And we REALLY need to start strengthening this muscle as Cyber PMMs. If we're not in tune with our customers, we might as well be playing darts in the dark. Without customer insight we can't execute on anything else we do, and the entire business will suffer. That's why I'm putting this forward as our third pillar of the Cyber PMM vision.

Now, let's address the elephant in the room: the current state of affairs. Product marketers in cybersecurity today have about as much customer interaction as a hermit in the woods. I'm exaggerating to get my point across here, but it's like we emerge from our caves every quarter for a brief interaction with a customer, and then it's back to our remote dungeons. This can't go on if we want to be effective. I can guarantee you that any Cyber PMM that isn't listening to customers will become irrelevant at some point (if not already).

We've got to step up our customer game but what does that look like practically? This is about making it normal for Cyber PMMs to talk to customers daily. Yes, I said daily. Before our internal team calls, or cross-functional marketing calls, or working on our content – engagement with customers needs to be our top priority. We need to build a culture of open communication with our customers and earn their trust to learn about their challenges and needs. That means regular meetings, feedback loops, and being more aware when it comes to customer issues. It's like nurturing a plant; we've got to water it regularly, not just once in a blue moon, if we want it to grow strong.

A PMM Hero Rises From Midea