I am Dutch, and the Dutch love their football - or ‘soccer’ - as my American friends call it. Football is a true team sport, where the success of the team depends on the disciplined execution of the various roles within that team. Unlike a rowing team, the players of a football team all have different tasks, and each require different skills. The roles in the team complement each other. Together, the ten field players, plus the goalie form a winning team if they all focus on their own tasks. As with most sports, the purpose is simple: scoring more goals than your opponent. And although the forwards or strikers are the players whose task it is to actually make the goal, the entire team, including the goalie and the defenders, participates in building the offense and creating the best chances for the striker to score.
Linking the defense and the offense through ball control is the task of the midfielders. It is arguably one of the most important positions in football. Their role is varied and vital, with the best overview of the field, anticipating and pushing forward at the right moment. He/she orchestrates the offense, finds the weak spots in the opponent’s defense and often provides the perfect passing shot for the striker to put the ball behind the goal keeper. They must know the strengths and weaknesses of opponents and teammates alike. Traditionally, the forward players get the most attention and become the most famous and recognizable. Think about Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The forwards get all the goals and the glory, but it is the midfielder who delivers them the ball. Lately, the attention and praise for midfielders is rising. And rightfully so. Dutch player Frenkie De Jong, midfielder for Barcelona, made it into the FIFA top-ten list of best players of 2019. FC Barcelona paid a whopping 75 Million euro to Ajax for Frenkie de Jong.
In many ways, a business is similar. The product marketer is the midfielder in an organization, linking the product group with the sales team. Each department in the business has its own role, all serving the main purpose of scoring successful orders. The product marketer has the overview and is the lynchpin. The PM knows the strengths and weaknesses of their own product as well as the competition’s and they put the sales team in the best possible position to score. The PM’s messaging, pricing, sales enablement tools and info about the market can be seen as the orchestration of success.
That’s why product marketing is an essential role in every business to be successful. That’s also why product marketing is so intriguing. The product marketer deals with all other departments, not just the product management team and sales, but also with development, finance, customer support, and all marketing disciplines.
Attributes of a great Product Marketer
In the TFT blogpost “What makes a Great Midfielder” I found the list below of the attributes required to be a great midfielder. And although we shouldn’t take the analogy with the product marketer too far, there are some striking similarities. I leave it to you, the reader, to translate how the midfielder analogy applies to the functions of a product marketer in a business environment.
Work Rate/Leadership – These two attributes go hand in hand because a great midfielder must work tirelessly and lead their team from the middle of the park. They will never give up, chasing down every ball and throwing themselves into every tackle. They will approach every game with a blood and guts, never-say-die attitude and an unmatched will to win which can drive their teammates on to a winning performance.
Fitness/Stamina – A midfielder will generally be involved in most passages of play during a match, tracking back to assist the defense and getting forward to play a part in attack. They also must try and win the midfield battle to keep control in the middle of the pitch. Therefore, they must be fitter than everyone else and have an abundance of stamina to give 100% for 90 minutes or more.
Composure – A midfielder must stay composed at all times, as they will see a lot of the ball and be involved in a lot of the action in a match. They must keep a cool head to prevent mistakes which can pile the pressure on the defense, choose the right pass at the right time to retain possession, and avoid rash challenges.
Vision/Anticipation – the midfielder must be able to read a match, anticipate what will happen next, and have great vision to turn defense into attack. They must be quick thinking and ready for anything, for the duration of the match.
All-Round Technical Ability – Not only will a midfielder need to be fit, composed, have great vision, and be a never-say-die leader, but they must also possess excellent all-round technical ability. The main abilities must be tackling and passing, although a great midfielder will be fantastic in all areas to keep the engine running smoothly.
Do you have it to be a great ‘midfielder’ in your organization?
Mark Butje
January 2020