Hey climate tech, marketers really don’t *need* 10 yrs of experience in your sector to be good at marketing for your startup. 😌
Here’s what I mean . . .
It’s not essential for you to find that one needle in a haystack with an extensive background in marketing data management software to public utilities, for example.
Sure, this marketer may step in and be able to navigate their way through jargon-filled conversations more quickly.
But in my personal experience as a marketer, every time I’ve had to dive in to a new sector, it’s actually served me as an advantage.
Why?
1️⃣ Because I was able to step in with an outsider’s perspective.
This meant I wasn’t blind to things people in the company or industry had become blind to.
This allowed me to take a more objective approach to understanding our company and product within the larger context of the industry.
2️⃣ Because it forced me to collaborate with sales, engineering, and product teams to understand their perspectives and insights about the product.
This helped me uncover marketing gems I wouldn’t have found otherwise if I didn’t need to work together with my colleagues as intensely in the beginning and before product launches.
3️⃣ And because it put me in the shoes of prospects with little to no background knowledge, too.
This meant I had to translate the deep expertise of my colleagues into simple, understandable terms that made more sense to me (and prospects).
Which gave me the opportunity to start from square one to make sure our messaging was crystal clear and powerful for audiences throughout the customer journey.
In short, I’m so glad I got the shot to step into these new sectors not knowing very much and then being able to grow in knowledge, collaboration, and communication in a way that helped my company win.
And in my opinion, climate tech startups can save themselves some trouble when they realize this. ⤵️
They don’t have to find a marketer with the *perfect* background.
(Also, that person may not even exist.)
What’s infinitely more important is to find a marketer willing to learn, grow, and collaborate.