Most PMMs pride themselves on being customer obsessed, but there's another critical audience we often overlook—our own sales teams. If you want your product to win in the market, you have to win over the people taking it to market. Today we're exploring how to move beyond handing off enablement decks to truly influencing how your sales team operates, transforming them from order-takers into strategic partners who genuinely understand your product's value.

Sharon Markowitz joins us with experience leading product and partner marketing at Atlassian, LinkedIn, Intuit, and Zoom. Named a top 100 product marketing mentor by ShareBird, Sharon's also founder of Your Career Wings, coaching marketers on upskilling and career development. At Zoom, she encountered a classic challenge during rapid expansion—standard functionalities weren't meeting customer expectations, creating conversion bottlenecks that required innovative solutions beyond traditional PMM approaches.

Sharon's breakthrough came when she stepped outside conventional PMM roles, establishing a sales incentive program funded by the marketing budget. By listening to sales reps who wanted simple perks like company swag, she built a program that energized the sales force and propelled deals forward. Her deep engagement wasn't just about meetings or chat channels—it was fostering genuine relationships and maintaining alignment with sales objectives, ultimately driving millions in new customer value.

We also dive into Sharon's four-step playbook for sales influence: listen attentively to both external customers and internal teams, embed yourself in sales calls to understand their needs, build initiatives collaboratively with the sales team, and be bold enough to step outside your lane when business demands it. Plus, we explore our messaging critique of Time Left, a B2C app connecting strangers for midweek dinners, and Sharon shares insights on keeping messaging simple while identifying growth opportunities.

For those looking to tap into Sharon's expertise further, she is offering personalized coaching with Your Career Wings & a 20% discount with PODCAST20 on your first paid booking of 1:1 Career Coaching Session through August 31, 2025.

This is an incredibly insightful conversation with Sharon, and I hope you're inspired to transform your approach and break creative boundaries in your own career.

LINKS

Time Left (messaging critique): https://timeleft.com/

Connect with Sharon Markowitz on LinkedIn

Connect with Elle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elle3izabeth/

Most PMMs don't track customer lifetime value, but we absolutely should. When you understand CLV, every trade-off becomes crystal clear—you know exactly where to focus your energy and can shape strategies around what actually retains your best customers.

Today we're diving into how Visa built their lifecycle marketing practice from scratch, turning one-and-done transactions into proper repeat engagement.

Terry Setiz joins me with 20+ years at Coca-Cola, HBO, Hasbro, and Visa. Here's what surprised me: Visa isn't a credit card company—they're a payment tech powerhouse (obvious, once you think about it!). Terry’s team embraced e-commerce with Visa Checkout, smashed down silos between marketing and IT, and created the genius 'One Hand' campaign featuring NFL stars making touchdowns while checking out simultaneously.

Terry's golden advice? Stop treating product launches like tick-box exercises. Think long game, experiment like a mad scientist, and don't be scared to pivot when data tells you to. His approach proves that understanding your market and solid KPIs keep everyone aligned whilst building for both today's wins and tomorrow's growth.

For our messaging critique segment of the show, Terry chose Modelo Beer as our subject. He praises their authentic tagline 'Brewed for those with a fighting spirit' for genuinely resonating with working-class audiences who take pride in hard work. However, he warns against generic sponsorships and endless product extensions that could water down their strong brand identity.

Terry brings us a masterclass in turning CLV insights into actionable strategy. Consider this your guide to understanding how your customers' true long-term value can transform every strategic decision you make as a PMM.

Key Takeaways:

• CLV clarity transforms every PMM decision because you finally know the actual long-term payoff, not just vanity metrics.
• Breaking down silos between marketing and IT creates go-to-market magic that addresses real needs whilst making life easier for users.
• Treat launches as continuous journeys focused on repeat engagement rather than forgettable one-time events.
• Creative campaigns with relatable stories demolish feature-focused messaging, especially when solving actual pain points.
• Strategic KPI alignment with executives keeps long-term vision intact whilst smashing immediate growth targets.

Terry’s Formula:

Customer Lifetime Value = (Average Purchase Value x Purchase Frequency x Customer Lifespan)

LINKS

Modelo Beer: https://www.modelousa.com/

Connect with Terry:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terry-seitz-57aa654/

Connect with Elle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elle3izabeth/

Here's the truth about meaningful growth: you either sell more of your current product to more people, or you build something entirely new to attract fresh customers. The second path is where innovation meets strategy, where positioning becomes an art form, and where go-to-market plans can make or break your future. Today's story centers on Ember—yes, those temperature-controlled smart mugs you've seen at Starbucks—but here's the twist: they didn't stay content as a coffee mug company.

This episode unpacks exactly how Ember executed their bold leap into an entirely different category, chasing new audiences with completely different products. I'm joined by Daniel Alvarez, who's led product strategy at Ember, Dole, and Jacuzzi, bringing that rare mix of engineering depth and business acumen. Also with us is Connor O'Neill, who's spent over a decade crafting brand stories that genuinely resonate with luxury customers, from Ember to Babylist and Jaguar Land Rover.

Daniel and Connor reveal the four critical moves that transformed Ember's market expansion from risky gamble to roaring success. We also dive into our messaging critique segment, dissecting the Oura Ring's complex challenge of translating intricate health insights into relatable, digestible messages for everyday users.

The wisdom bomb from our guests? Market expansion isn't just about being different—it's about being meaningful. Remember that even the most cutting-edge innovations must connect through clear, compelling storytelling. Ready to explore new market spaces and dare to innovate beyond the usual boundaries? Let’s go!

Key Takeaways:

• Consumer insight drives everything - Deep analytics and behaviour understanding form your foundation for connecting with untapped market desires

• Leverage proven technology - Innovation doesn't mean starting from scratch; build on what works to create smooth transitions for existing customers whilst attracting new ones

• Craft aspirational narratives - Authentic storytelling that speaks to your audience's dreams and lifestyle aspirations is essential for market expansion success

• Simplify complex messaging - Even cutting-edge innovations must translate technical benefits into relatable, digestible messages that everyday users can understand and connect with

• Be meaningful, not just different - Successful market expansion focuses on addressing real customer needs rather than simply being novel or disruptive

LINKS

Oura Ring: https://ouraring.com/

Connect with Daniel and Connor:

Website: https://revelhorizon.com/

Instagram: @revelhorizon

Connect with Elle:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elle3izabeth/