AMA: Observable Head of Growth Marketing, Erika Barbosa on Demand Generation Interviews

My favorite demand generation interview question is around how do you measure success. I tailor the question based on the role, but the essence of the question is the same. This is my favorite question because I’m a believer of being data informed within demand generation. Right away I can gauge the sophistication of the candidate's experience based on this question. I’m looking for an understanding of how to gauge performance and the rigor of data analysis you’ll have with your programs. This of course will vary based on the role. What was the best answer I’ve received? When the candidate teaches me something I’m not familiar with. Educate the hiring manager on a nugget of information or a unique perspective and that will give them insight into how much you can bring to the table.

I’ve grouped the most common areas of opportunity for candidates below. See these items as opportunities for growth that are very doable to overcome. * Not being prepared. This may seem obvious, but it happens often enough to note it. Specifically for demand gen, you have to be able to demonstrate either a deep understanding on a topic or be trainable for an entry level role. * Not being familiar with a recent update in the industry that is timely. For example, if you are interviewing for an SEO role and an industry shaking update was just released, be prepared to speak to it in the event it comes up. * Not having a perspective on a topic. Demand generation is a career path where it’s helpful to have a testing mentality and a perspective on what will work. When asked, it helps to have a point of view on the topic or at least a direction you want to take that part of the conversation. * Curious and ask questions. Personally, I want to get a sense for your interest in demand gen and gauge that curiosity with your questions. This is also a good time to get a better understanding if this is the kind of leadership you will see growth under. You’ll notice common themes with what I noted above. You can easily address these items by going into the interview informed. Depending on the level of the role, this will look different. Be sure to tailor these items based on the expected knowledge level.

The key to this question is to review a variety of resources from different perspectives to form your own viewpoint. Based on my experience, this method has proven to be the most effective for me. Here are three resources that include several interview questions for inspiration: * 100 Demand Generation Interview Questions for You * What Does a Demand Generation Manager Do? (And How to Become One) * 31 Must-Ask Interview Questions for Marketing Jobs Also, I challenge you to think outside of the box of the standard interview questions. While you should be familiar with these types of questions, try to expand your curiosity further. Identify ways to express how you can deliver value and questions to get to the core of the information that matters to you to make an informed decision.

It’s critical to understand what autonomy looks like for you before the interview. Once you have clarity on your definition of autonomy, consider the following types of questions. Questions for your potential manager: * What does leadership look like to you? * How do you typically manage workflows, reviews/approvals, and other processes that I would have in this role? * How do you like your direct reports to communicate with you? Depending on the role, your skill set, and who you are interviewing with in the organization, you’ll have to personalize these questions for you. Approach these questions from different lenses. Oftentimes you may find you have to ask related questions to get a better gauge on what you are trying to understand.

Some of the most common red flags I’ve encountered were around speaking to information on your resume and lack of attention to detail. Here are some examples: * Placeholders left such as for revenue. I’ve received resumes that left placeholders such as “$X,XXX,XXX revenue”. While this may seem like a minor concern, attention to detail is necessary for demand generation roles. One small mistake could impact the budget for an ad campaign. While this doesn’t mean mistakes won’t happen, things like this can be avoided. * Be able to speak to percentages of increases and decreases. An increase in conversions from 2 to 4 is a 100% increase. Which sounds more impactful? I understand why we include percentages, but be sure to be able to back up the stat you include. Use meaningful percentages that you can speak to that indicate meaningful change. * Update of descriptions. Within demand generation, I still see resumes that include descriptions such as “Google Webmaster Tools” and “Google Adwords”. While this may seem minor again, details matter. Take the time you need to review and refine what you include on your resume or discuss within the interview. It’s just like the expression “measure twice, cut once.”

You can improve your interviewing skills in what I group as five different but complementary categories. 1. Preparation: This is first and foremost. The more prepared you are the more confidence you’ll have. Regardless of what level you are at in your career, I’m an advocate for preparation. It will just take different shapes depending on the stage you are at. 2. Get your reps in: The more experience you have interviewing for demand generation roles, the more improvement will become evident. This just takes time. Be kind and patient with yourself in the process and know you are playing the long game of continuous improvement. 3. Stay up to date: Demand generation is a career path that requires staying curious, learning about the latest updates and trends, and knowing the latest and greatest. One day can go by where you can start to feel out of the loop from not learning. If you ever feel this way, remember the next best time to start up again is now. 4. Do your research: Investigate what demand generation tactics are currently in-market. If possible, have a data-informed perspective. 5. Role-play: If you refer back to recommendation # 1 (preparation), you’ll see how this is a natural extension to preparation. Improvement is the result of preparation by way of getting your reps in. One way to do this is to role-play the interview with a friend or family. As human beings we are more confident with things that are familiar. If there is a specific sticking point that you practice and role-play with, it will feel more familiar and comfortable in the interview. Some individuals are generalists while others are specialists in specific areas of demand generation. Be sure to educate yourself based on the path you are taking. The hiring manager will ask questions based on the path the role is intended to be.

The best demand generation candidates have curiosity in common. The demand gen space is constantly evolving. If you are not curious, it’s difficult to keep up. How do you stay curious and motivate curiosity? * Keep reading, learning and exploring topics of interest. * Embody a testing mentality. * Develop new skills. If you pair curiosity with trainability, you have gold. It’s not a requirement to have an advanced degree to have a demand gen career. Many of the skills can be developed through free resources. However, if you layer in the key characteristics of curiosity and trainability, you can have a compounding impact.

Below you’ll find a sample of the questions I like to ask in interviews for demand generation roles. Why? They are telling regardless of the specialization of the role and can be tailored. * How would you measure success in XYZ type of campaign? I’m looking for an answer that speaks to a strong understanding of performance and measuring impact. * Describe to me your perspective on what the demand generation funnel looks like? This is dependent on the business model, but I’m looking for a unique blending of frameworks (e.g., growth marketing loops and community-led marketing) that aligns with the messiness of what is the modern day “funnel” in air quotes. * Tell me about one of your least successful campaigns and what you did about it? I’m looking for a response that shows you are comfortable failing forward. If campaigns don’t “fail” you may not be making big enough bets that will really move the needle for the business.

Partnership with sales is critical. It’s important to have an open line of communication with them for unified success. How do you articulate the importance of collaboration? * Constant feedback loop. Express the mutual benefit of a constant feedback loop. This will benefit sales / revenue equally. * Respond versus react. With collaboration you can respond in a meaningful way to what’s most impactful and continue iterating. Sales are on the front lines. Understanding their feedback on how customers are responding is critical. This helps you to respond appropriately to what’s working and what’s not working. Similarly, sales feedback on your ABM strategy is like gold. None of this would be possible without communication and partnership.