How to save time by creating systems to communicate cross-functionally.

Are you sharing information cross-functionally in real-time? Via Slack? Trello? Many internal stakeholders work with very different platforms.

A product marketer’s first and most significant skill is clear, cross-functional communication. This part of a product marketer’s job is imperative because it’s impossible to launch and service a product unless the entire company rallies behind the effort.

This kind of cross-functional collaboration and buy-in takes time to build, and it needs to start early in the product development process. Skills such as diplomacy, influence, listening carefully, and leadership are key to the success of this role as a communicator.

I often create a weekly meeting check-in for cross-functional stakeholders working on the GTM process and couple that with Slack and Trello and sometimes email. I find that sharing a weekly recap via email often makes it easy for everyone in the company to find the latest information about an upcoming launch.

Having a cross-functional team that works together early on helps with efficiency and more cross-pollination on strategic thinking and innovation. We’ve implemented a squad model that incorporates PMs, Product Designers, PMMs, and engineers and everyone works collectively to ideate, build and launch. There is less of a hand-off mechanism and everyone is working together in lockstep.— Jane Kim, Head of PMM, Life360

How are you communicating with your cross-functional teams? What types of applications are you using today? What are the ways you can create better systems internally for communication?

I’d love to hear from you.

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