How to be a good IT Product Manager - part 1 - talking to Customers
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The document outlines strategies for effective product management, emphasizing the importance of customer conversations to understand their needs and pain points. It provides several rules of thumb for engaging with customers, such as avoiding technical jargon, ensuring the right stakeholders are involved in discussions, and recognizing the unique challenges of different customer types, particularly in financial institutions. Ultimately, the document stresses the significance of honesty, empathy, and active listening in cultivating positive customer relationships.
How to be a good IT Product Manager - part 1 - talking to Customers
- 1. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT with focus on a few words about HOWTOTALKTO CUSTOMERS
- 3. IT EDUCATION VS PRODUCT MANAGEMENT technology coding efficiency project management
- 4. product goal customers / market process schedule team project management product management
- 5. product goal customers / market process schedule team project management product management
- 6. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT customers sales marketing the lab product manager
- 7. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT How to become an effective information hub?
- 8. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT Let’s focus on Customers today customers
- 9. Why do we want to talk to customers? Do we want to talk to customers? How do we talk to customers?
- 10. Rule of thumb #1 Customers are experts in the domain they operate in.
- 11. BUT
- 12. when customers speak about solution features they want you to deliver YOU SHOULD NOT LISTEN
- 13. 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
- 15. Rule of thumb #2 Don’t give customers options to chose from. Instead validate the complete solution and see if the pain was removed
- 16. the conversation with customers WILL LOOK DIFFERENTLY depending on multiple factors
- 17. more feature focused might have good ideas avoid bug discussions more willing to describe pains good insight of competitive data new customers existing customers
- 18. 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
- 19. small customers large customers
- 20. Rule of thumb #3 When speaking with customers always make sure who you talk to: users, power sponsors or buyers.
- 21. this will not always be users power sponsors and buyers are equally important users are usually not buyers WHO DOYOUTALKTO?
- 22. Rule of thumb #4 Words are powerful. Some words are magical.
- 23. 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
- 24. 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
- 25. 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
- 26. Rule of thumb #5 Financial institutions are always special.
- 27. extremely process focused security paranoia multiple checklists in place will ALWAYS complain about money usually end up building their own toys FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
- 28. Rule of thumb #6 Forget all you have just heard.
- 31. areCUSTOMERS PEOPLE picture yourself in their shoes feel their pain be their friend help them and you will both win
- 32. 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.
- 33. Suggestion #2 Be honest. If you do not know, admit that fact openly. Suggest follow ups.
- 34. Suggestion #3 Like people. They will like you back. People who like you are more open with you.
- 35. Suggestion #4 Don’t f#@k your customers!
- 36. Suggestion #5 Product Management is 90% listening 10% talking
- 38. THANKYOU