ProductMarketing.com

Is Sales Becoming Marketing Technical Support?

Sales used to be the primary conduit for the customer to learn about a product or solution. There were essentially no other channels. A few brochures and white papers would be produced, but that was only in support of the sales interaction- that collateral wasn’t meant to sell, and never fit that closely to the customers specific reality. And this was the necessity based on reality- to do it any other way would have required the sales team dropping a file cabinet off at a customers site.

via testdrivenmarketing.com

Nowadays the customer is likely to know as much about your product than anyone on the sales team. They spend hours on your web site reviewing and reading and analyzing.

How does that change the way we sell?

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

video Thursday: Crime deterrent

Gosh, my iPhone can sorta do that. Now if only it made calls...

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Managing stakeholder expectations via Product Council « Software Product Manager by Gopal Shenoy

So is there a way to manage these expectations and make sure there is a clear product direction? I have been using Product Council meetings to successfully do this.

via productmanagementtips.com

Customer councils (or customer advisory boards) are great for discovering problems from those who use your products.

For more on advisory boards, see http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/publications/topics/03/0305sj/

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Booking mistakenly sent to TripIt support

With so many addresses in your email list, it's easy to send an email to the wrong person or wrong account. We all do it once in a while. But what about vendors? How many support or sales teams get emails intended for someone else?

TripIt is a wonderful service that I've been using since 2008. Just forward all your travel confirmation emails to plans@tripit.com to setup and maintain your itineraries. It's already a great product but their product teams have also been monitoring support logs to mine for additional requirements. Here's a common user problem:

It looks like you may have mistakenly sent a booking confirmation email to our support email address (support@tripit.com or feedback@tripit.com). Please forward your original confirmation email to plans@tripit.com for processing.

Sometimes when we suggest making support@tripit.com a "safe sender," our customers inadvertently (and understandably) use our support address instead of plans@tripit.complans@tripit.com to your address book as well to prevent any confusion in the future. when forwarding booking confirmation emails. You might take this opportunity to add

If you were trying to contact our support team, please reply to this email and a member of our support team will get back to you as soon as possible.

How 'bout you? Are your customer support people encountering product problems that you're not hearing about? Go check with your support team. They are in communication with users (not buyers) and frequently have some insights on how to make your product even better.

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Another excellent job description

Product Manager is a critical role in our organization.

and

Knows Pragmatic Marketing’s Framework, and the Ultimate Question. If you have to ask, this job may not be the right one for you. Sorry.

via careers-sage.icims.com

Another excellent job description. Written in the language of the "buyer"--in this case, HR is looking to "buy" a product manager. Product management is indeed a critical role in a thriving company and it's great to see companies that appreciate it.
Of course, we're always pleased when Pragmatic Marketing is part of a job listing (as it is... frequently.)

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

The Influencer Project – summarizing the shortest marketing conference ever | On Product Management

Billed as “the shortest marketing conference ever“, the goal was to get 60 presenters and give them each 1 minute (yes 60 seconds) to provide insights on how to increase your online influence in the next 60 days.

via onproductmanagement.net

Elevator pitches gone insane! Wow!

Saeed does a fine job of summarizing one hour of talks into the 60 salient points of the talks. What would you say (about your self, your product, or you company) in one minute--or one sentence?

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

For your next launch meeting

Need help with your next launch? Check out http://pragmaticmarketing.typepad.com/launchclinic/ and http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/seminars/product-launch-essentials

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Simplicity is the killer app

As Clayton Christensen argues in the Innovator's Dilemma, the best move when the market is over-served is to innovate from below, not to join the new feature arms race.  Less can be more.  Simplicity is the killer app. 

http://www.tomfishburne.com/tomfishburne/2010/06/newfeaturitis.html

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Tom Fishburne: this one time at Brand Camp: devil's advocate

The Devil's Advocate is a regular staffer in most offices. "Let me play Devil's Advocate" is a socially acceptable way to shoot down an idea. It's a guise that allows anyone to criticize an idea without offering an alternative. It's far easier (and safer) to tear down than to create. You can undermine what someone has just proposed without actually challenging them directly. 

via tomfishburne.com

Sometimes we need someone to see the bad side of an idea. How it will be mis-interpreted. How it will be abused. How it will conflict with other initiatives.

But first we need a team who will look for the good, will brainstorm the possibilities before everyone (or is it just the same someone?) starts taking shots at it.

Are you the one who plays Devil's Advocate? Are you a permanent nay-sayer? If so, please stop.

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management

Friday fun: If you don't want an iPhone 4...

... don't buy it.

Let's all sing along.

Posted via email from Steve Johnson on product management