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.

1. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
with focus on
a few words about
HOWTOTALKTO CUSTOMERS

2. YOUR HOST
Bartek Gatz
xmgatz@gmail.com

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.

29. are
THE RULES
FUZZY

30. are
CUSTOMERS
PEOPLE

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