{"id":775,"date":"2019-06-07T09:18:25","date_gmt":"2019-06-07T14:18:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/?p=775"},"modified":"2019-06-08T09:49:11","modified_gmt":"2019-06-08T14:49:11","slug":"the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/","title":{"rendered":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Just as Clark Kent (Superman) and Kara Daniels (Supergirl) performed Herculean exploits behind the guise of mere humans, product managers are challenged to work behind-the-scenes to achieve product success. (Yes, it\u2019s a bit of a stretch. But don\u2019t you like being compared to superheroes?)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"The<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Working faster than a speeding bullet. More powerful than a\nproduct bottleneck. Able to leap tall requirements in a single bound.\nMaintaining composure while working without direct authority. Surviving the\nkryptonite of firefighting and reactivity. It\u2019s tough. And good advice can\nhelp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the end of every chapter of The\nProduct Manager\u2019s Handbook<\/a>, I included an interview with a prominent\nbusiness expert or consultant. Each offered perspectives for different product\nmanagement challenges. Here are snippets of their words of wisdom. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the third of a four-part series of The Product Manager Advice Dossier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Executives Expect in Terms of New-Product Project Oversight <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"Laura<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Laura Farnham<\/a>, Advisor at Millennium Group Inc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might sound a bit\noverwhelming, but I expect just about everything from the product manager.  Whether it\u2019s a thorough understanding of the\ncompetitive landscape; tradeoffs between features, cost and time to market;\nimplications of manufacturing locations and processes on cost and delivery;\npricing and the tradeoffs between margin and market share\u2014you name it.  The product manager is the single point of\naccountability for every aspect of the product. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Specific to the gate\nreview process, the product manager will need to provide different information\nat different phases of the development process. For example, in an ideation or\nconcept phase, the market information and customer requirements are at a\nrelatively high level. As the concept matures and progresses to Phase 2 exit, a\ncomplete business case is required to support the go\/no go decision. This\nincludes clear market sizing and growth rates, market share estimates,\ncompetitive positioning, pricing and margin targets, engineering and\nmanufacturing investments, SG&A investments, etc.  Additionally, scenario modeling should be\nincluded to illustrate the program sensitivity, for example, to changes in\nprice, cost, or market share.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As development\nconcludes and the team is preparing to launch the new product, I expect the\nproduct manager to validate the business case and market assumptions. Where\nproduct development takes an extended amount of time, market conditions may\nchange which may affect the value proposition or competitive positioning.  He product manager needs to monitor these\nfactors throughout the development process. Adjustments to the marketing plans\nmay be required to ensure the program will deliver the financial returns\npromised at Phase 2 exit.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role is very complex and it\u2019s hard to\nidentify one nugget of advice. So, I\u2019ll leave you with three thoughts:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Plan\nthoroughly, deliver on your commitments and communicate broadly<\/li>
  2. Think\nholistically and proactively<\/li>
  3. Build\nstrong cross-functional, cross-organizational teams<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    And most of all enjoy what you\u2019re doing.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Cultivate Product Launch Techniques <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Elyse<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Elyse Kaye<\/a>, Brand marketing product development specialist <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    A successful launch begins early in the development process with a well-laid-out plan that has flexibility. So many great products never make it to market because they are launched improperly. Internally, the biggest mistake made is the lack of constant communication.  Working in silos leads to mass amounts of finger-pointing and expensive air freighting!  Depending on the product complexity, I try to bring in the necessary players as early as possible.  This includes the development team (designers, engineering, research, packaging, sourcing finance) and the launch team (sales, advertising, merchandising teams, PR, the marketing gurus). Even though everyone wants a concise timeline, the reality is the plan should be \u201cpadded\u201d to allow for unexpected circumstances that can kill a launch.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Mobilize Your Product Lifecycle Management Prowess <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Greg<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Greg DiCillo<\/a>, President, Co-Founder, Maximal<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve had the opportunity to\nwork with numerous companies that were intent on realigning their product\nlines. While the task of sunsetting or retiring a product is not simple, it is\ncrucial to product line performance and ultimately the growth and profitability\nof a company. We treat the sunsetting of products in the same way that we treat\nnew-product development because all aspects of product life-cycle activities\nare in play. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Identification of products\nfor sunsetting requires front-end idea generation. Business cases are required\nto assess the costs required to eliminate the products as well as potential\nrisks associated with potential lost customers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    When product development\ncomes into play, product transition strategies must be outlined (how to migrate\ncustomers from one product to another). Things like form, fit, and functional\nequivalency all need to be addressed. In some cases, modifications to other\nproducts may be required to make the transition more effective. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Product launch activities\nmust be clearly thought-out and executed. The sales force must be prepared on\nhow to sell the transition, and marketing will need to effectively market the\nsunsetting program. Sunsetting a product requires well-thought-out and\ncollaborative and effort to be successful. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    My advice to product managers is to make lifecycle planning the core of what you do. Most product managers treat lifecycle management as an event rather than a process. Every decision a product manager makes has a lifecycle impact. New product development has to take into account existing products. Markets go through lifecycles, requiring product managers to assess their viability. When lifecycle management and planning is at the center of a product manager\u2019s planning process, product line decisions from new products, to enhancements, to end-of-life are much clearer and easier to understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Make Authentic Brand Connections with Customers <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \"Jeff
    copyright 2010<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Jeff Mikula<\/a>, Vice President, Marketing & Communications at Vizient<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    In today\u2019s\nenvironment, authenticity and trust are paramount to building successful and\nsustainable brands. Customers engage with brands in ways that help clarify\ntheir own values and priorities. They are looking for companies and brands to\nshow that they share those values on some level. Customers expect a two-way\ndialogue and the opportunity to engage. Organizations strive to create engaging\nbrands with more transparency by building trust and leveraging reputation.\nRegardless of whether it\u2019s brand archetypes, corporate citizenship, social\nmedia\u2014or all of these \u2013brand managers will continue to be influenced by\nopportunities for their brands to be more engaging, authentic, and transparent\nwith customers. Brand managers simply can\u2019t approach branding in the same way\nanymore, because our customers don\u2019t associate with brands the same way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    [My advice to product managers is to] dig deep to find the unique meaning of a brand that will create a bond that is far more important than general product features. Differentiation is critical for sales and profitability. Look around at all the influencers and consider how they interact with each other because these interpersonal interactions can be as important as how they interact with your brand. Get intimate with all the touch points of the customer experience. And go beyond simple product or brand awareness as a market measure. While the connections between brand and customer are deeper, the perspectives of influence and experience need to be much broader in this environment. Successful brand managers need both micro and macro vision to take a brand from good to great.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n\n\n\n

    Next month, on the first Friday, I will provide part four of the Product Manager Advice Dossier.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Just as Clark Kent (Superman) and Kara Daniels (Supergirl) performed Herculean exploits behind the guise of mere humans, product managers are challenged to work behind-the-scenes to achieve product success. (Yes, it\u2019s a bit of a stretch. But don\u2019t you like… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-775","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-product-management"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Linda Gorchels blogs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Linda Gorchels\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Linda Gorchels\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Linda Gorchels\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c\"},\"headline\":\"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three)\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1212,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/05\\\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif\",\"articleSection\":[\"Product management\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/05\\\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif\",\"datePublished\":\"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c\"},\"description\":\"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/05\\\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2015\\\/05\\\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three)\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/\",\"name\":\"Linda Gorchels blogs\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/lindagorchels.com\\\/blogs\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c\",\"name\":\"Linda Gorchels\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs","description":"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs","og_description":"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.","og_url":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/","og_site_name":"Linda Gorchels blogs","article_published_time":"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00","article_modified_time":"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif","type":"","width":"","height":""}],"author":"Linda Gorchels","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Linda Gorchels","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/"},"author":{"name":"Linda Gorchels","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c"},"headline":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three)","datePublished":"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00","dateModified":"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/"},"wordCount":1212,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif","articleSection":["Product management"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/","url":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/","name":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three) - Linda Gorchels blogs","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif","datePublished":"2019-06-07T14:18:25+00:00","dateModified":"2019-06-08T14:49:11+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c"},"description":"Product managers face both common and unique challenges. One size does NOT fit all. Varied opinions are valuable. Third in a four-part advice series.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif","contentUrl":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/05\/PM-Handbook-cover-202x300.gif"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/the-product-manager-advice-dossier-part-three\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"The Product Manager Advice Dossier (part three)"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/#website","url":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/","name":"Linda Gorchels blogs","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/#\/schema\/person\/d03589cc039ef6caee0738b0e16bdd4c","name":"Linda Gorchels"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=775"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":780,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/775\/revisions\/780"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=775"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=775"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lindagorchels.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=775"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}