How to ask for coaching

Interested in getting a product marketing coach?

But afraid to ask your boss to expense it?

Here are some things to consider 👇

First off, know that you’re not alone.

Many of the founding PMMs I work with are hesitant to ask.

I felt the same way when I was building my first product marketing team.

There are lots of reasons why:

Some don’t know how to ask

Others perceive it more as a personal perk than a benefit to the business

But I believe most feel like asking for a coach will make them seem less capable

Less ready for leadership

That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The next time you think about asking for a coach, remember:

1️⃣ Asking for a coach is a sign of strength, not weakness

↳ A clear indicator you take your self development seriously

↳ That you want to reach your full potential

↳ That you have ambition and want to succeed

↳ And companies should want to hire and retain those people

2️⃣ Show how it aligns with their objectives

↳ They are investing in your growth as a strategic leader

↳ But also the success of their PMM function as a whole

↳ Positioning and messaging clarity, the success of a major launch, etc.

↳ When it’s clear, they are often happy to allocate budget

3️⃣ Share how you’ll pay it forward

↳ How can you share your learnings and bring value to other teams?

↳ How can you help contribute to a coaching culture?

4️⃣ Most companies have budgets for this sort of thing. You just need to ask for it.

I’ll leave you by repeating my point above.

Remember that asking for a coach takes courage. It's a sign of strength, not weakness. 

All companies want to hire and retain employees with high potential.

Asking for coaching shows your ambition to succeed.

#productmarketing #foundingpmm #coaching