how to be a good it product manager - part 1 - talking to customers
DESCRIPTION
This is a presentation where I talk about good Product management practices with focus on communication with Customers. The presentation was delivered during NetVision conference in April 2014.TRANSCRIPT
PRODUCT MANAGEMENTwith focus on
a few words about
HOW TO TALK TO CUSTOMERS
YOUR HOST
Bartek Gatz
IT EDUCATION VS
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
technology
coding efficiency
project management
product
goal
customers / market
process
schedule
team
project management product management
product
goal
customers / market
process
schedule
team
project management product management
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
customers sales
marketing the lab
product manager
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
How to become an effective information hub?
PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
Let’s focus on Customers today
customers
Why do we want to talk to customers?
Do we want to talk to customers?
How do we talk to customers?
Rule of thumb #1
Customers are experts in the domain they operate in.
BUT
when customers speak about solution features they want you to deliver
YOU SHOULD NOT LISTEN
speak about pains
avoid GUI discussions
speak about how customers work
speak about features
speak about GUI
speak about how they want to use the product
Customers will PM should
Rule of thumb #2
Don’t give customers options to chose from.Instead validate the complete solution
and see if the pain was removed
the conversation with customersWILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY
depending on multiple factors
more feature focused
might have good ideas
avoid bug discussions
more willing to describe pains
good insight of competitive data
new customers existing customers
process driven
checklist powered
prefer to talk to large suppliers
lots of ass covering will happen
need driven
aware of their pains
super happy to talk to you
honest and avoiding bullshit
small customers large customers
small customers large customers
Rule of thumb #3
When speaking with customers always make sure who you talk to: users, power sponsors or buyers.
this will not always be users
power sponsors and buyers are equally important
users are usually not buyers
WHO DO YOU TALK TO?
Rule of thumb #4
Words are powerful.Some words are magical.
the checklist always exists
understand the domain in order to uncover the magic words
be aware of the pressure
things will not always be rational
magic words work for sponsors and power sponsors,
users are immune
MAGIC WORDS
platform users will build solution for them
you can steer platform users too
jump on calls to learn true pains
better platform translates into more positive noise
use the features directly
this is a simple case
indirect customersdirect customers
multiple voices
difficult to find the pain
always a compromise
multiple conversations+
extrapolation
one happy customer =
goal achieved
this is a simple case
direct contractboxed solution
Rule of thumb #5
Financial institutions are always special.
extremely process focused
security paranoia
multiple checklists in place
will ALWAYS complain about money
usually end up building their own toys
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
Rule of thumb #6
Forget all you have just heard.
areTHE RULES
FUZZY
areCUSTOMERS
PEOPLE
areCUSTOMERS PEOPLE
picture yourself in their shoes
feel their pain
be their friend
help them and you will both win
Suggestion #1
Unhappy customer will drag 50 other customers away from you.
Happy customer will bring 2 new customers.
Truly happy customer will infect others with passion to your products.
Suggestion #2
Be honest.
If you do not know, admit that fact openly.
Suggest follow ups.
Suggestion #3
Like people.
They will like you back.
People who like you are more open with you.
Suggestion #4
Don’t f#@k your customers!
Suggestion #5
Product Management is
90% listening
10% talking
THANK YOU