Marketing Consultant
Product marketing recruitment
Looking to hire in product marketing? Whether you’re launching a new proposition or scaling a go-to-market team, having the right product marketing manager (PMM) is essential. As a leading product marketing headhunter in London, Intelligent People has supported companies in finding high-impact product marketers who combine strategy, storytelling and commercial thinking.
In this article, we explore the 12 essential qualities of an exceptional product marketing manager, ideal for hiring managers refining their product marketing recruitment strategy.
1. Deep customer and market understanding
Exceptional product marketers are deeply customer-centric. They take the time to understand what motivates different customer segments, what challenges they face, and how their buying decisions are made. They go beyond surface-level research and immerse themselves in customer interviews, usage data, reviews, and the voice of the customer.
This understanding not only fuels powerful messaging but informs product development, pricing strategies and positioning. When hiring for product marketing, look for candidates who talk confidently about real customer insights and how they’ve used them.
2. Strategic product positioning
A PMM’s ability to develop and maintain sharp product positioning is fundamental. The best product marketers don’t just describe what the product does, they articulate why it matters and how it’s different. They identify the sweet spot between customer need, product capability and competitive whitespace.
Strong positioning sets the foundation for all downstream content, campaigns and sales enablement. In your product marketing recruitment process, probe how candidates build and validate positioning and how they’ve adapted it to meet changing market conditions.
3. Go-to-market leadership
A strong product marketing manager leads the entire go-to-market (GTM) process, from pre-launch planning to post-launch optimisation. This includes defining the strategy, aligning internal teams, creating launch assets and ensuring every function knows their role.
They act as a project manager, strategist and communicator all in one, keeping things on track and ensuring the product lands well both internally and externally. If you’re hiring a product marketing manager, particularly for a new product, prior experience running successful GTM launches is a must.
4. Messaging and content creation
Messaging is more than just words. It’s how your product connects with your customers emotionally and rationally. A great product marketing manager can craft messaging that resonates with different audiences, from end-users and buyers to analysts and investors.
They also own content development, working across formats like web copy, decks, case studies, thought leadership and in-product messaging. When working with a product marketing headhunter in London, look for candidates with a portfolio that shows range, clarity and consistency.
5. Strong product knowledge
A product marketing manager isn’t a developer, but they must have a deep understanding of how the product works. This enables them to translate technical features into clear, benefit-led messaging and ensures they can collaborate confidently with product, engineering and customer success teams.
Look for product marketing managers who can speak to the value their product delivers, not just what it does. The best ones ask thoughtful, technical questions and are proactive in learning the ins and outs of the product.
6. Data-led decision making
In today’s world, effective product marketers base decisions on data. Whether it’s A/B testing messaging, analysing campaign performance, or using product analytics to drive feature adoption, a data-driven mindset is essential.
Exceptional product marketing managers use both quantitative and qualitative data to build hypotheses, test ideas and iterate. During your product marketing recruitment, assess how candidates use data in decision-making and how they balance instinct with evidence.
7. Sales alignment and enablement
Product marketing sits at the intersection of product and sales. A strong PMM works closely with sales teams to understand objections, gather feedback and ensure they have the right tools to sell effectively.
This might include sales decks, battlecards, product one-pagers, objection-handling scripts or email templates. Look for product marketers who take ownership of enablement and know how to turn customer insight into commercial impact.
8. Campaign and project management
Great product marketing managers are skilled campaigners and organisers. They’re often responsible for complex cross-functional launches involving multiple stakeholders, assets and channels. They need to be organised, deadline-driven, and able to manage multiple moving parts simultaneously.
Whether it’s coordinating with design, briefing agencies, or aligning with product teams, they know how to get things done without losing sight of strategy. A PMM who’s both creative and operationally sharp is a real asset.
9. Creativity and innovation
In crowded markets, creativity is what sets your product apart. Product marketers need to come up with bold, original ideas for campaigns, messaging, and content formats. They should be confident experimenting with different channels, tones of voice and visual styles, while staying consistent with your brand.
Innovation also applies to processes. The best product marketing managers continuously look for better ways to communicate value and drive adoption. Creativity, when combined with data and discipline, is a powerful differentiator.
10. Adaptability and a growth mindset
Product marketing never stands still. Markets evolve, customers change, and products pivot. That’s why adaptability and a learning mindset are so important. The best product marketers are comfortable with ambiguity and confident experimenting with new tools, ideas and ways of working.
They stay up to date with marketing trends, product news and their industry landscape. Ask candidates how they’ve responded to change or failure – it often reveals more than their successes.
11. Internal storytelling and stakeholder management
Product marketing managers are internal communicators as much as external ones. They must rally internal teams around a shared story, ensuring sales, customer success, support and leadership are aligned on product direction and value.
Strong stakeholder management is key here. PMMs need to listen, influence and bring people together across departments. If a candidate can explain how they’ve helped create buy-in and internal alignment, you’ve likely found someone who can scale with your business.
12. Commercial acumen
Finally, great product marketers understand the commercial impact of their work. They think in terms of revenue, growth, retention and margin, not just clicks and impressions. They align their strategies to business goals and can confidently speak to how marketing influences commercial outcomes.
During product marketing recruitment, prioritise candidates who demonstrate this kind of thinking. It’s what separates operational marketers from strategic ones, and what makes them invaluable to your business.
Need help with product marketing recruitment?
At Intelligent People, we’re a specialist product marketing recruitment agency with over two decades of experience connecting high-growth businesses with top-tier talent. Whether you’re scaling a start-up or hiring at enterprise level, we understand the unique skill set required to succeed in this space.
As a trusted product marketing headhunter in London as well as Bristol, Manchester, Edinburgh and Birmingham, we have access to an unrivalled network of candidates who blend strategic thinking, creativity and commercial impact. Our consultative approach means we don’t just fill roles, we help you build teams that drive growth.
Looking to hire? Visit our I need to hire page to get started.
