Persuasion
Product managers have plenty of responsibility, but they often have very little authority. Rarely does anyone report to them - engineering, product design and marketing are usually in separate organizations, or have different managers. So how does a PM influence product decisions? Persuasion.
Persuasion isn't just a matter of being nice to people and saying please and thank you, though that doesn't hurt. It's an art that's built on several skills that can be cultivated.
Articulation
Information is the product manager's best friend. Data from customer research, market analysis, sales, product support, and finance is key to shaping smart policies, and then persuading others that they make sense. Opinions may make for good conversations, but facts persuade.
Persuasive data comes in all shapes and sizes. Certainly a quantitative survey can provide a solid foundation for a recommendation, but so can an informal conversation with a customer if it is set in a context that's meaningful, with data that shows it's representative of other customers. Even if Sales doesn't do a formal win/loss analysis, a product manager can build one from a series of discussions with Sales staff, resulting in highly useful data.
Data is useless without good analysis. Insights come when information is viewed in different ways, and when data from different sources is combined and interpreted. The more thorough your analysis, the more sound (and persuasive) your conclusions will be. And, of course, it's important to present data effectively, whether in a well-written MRD, an executive presentation, or a hallway conversation. (Never underestimate the importance of your "elevator story"!)
A PM can also play a valuable role in articulating other participants' viewpoints. As the center of the development ecosystem, the PM is often in a position to communicate the insights of Engineering to Marketing, of QA to Sales. Shared information can be the grease that keeps the development machine well-oiled, making the PM's job much easier.
Perhaps the single most important thing that a product manager can articulate is The Vision. It's a summary of the goals, the direction, and the spirit of a project. It should be universally understood, and never forgotten, and it's the PM's job to make sure it's clear and persuasive.
Negotiation
A product manager must often build consensus from conflicting interests and viewpoints. Sales may have one point of view ("we have to have the product next quarter") and engineering another ("it will take six months to finish the product"). Different viewpoints are sometimes both/all correct, from the point of view of the advocates. It's the PM's job to work with different team members ("remember, we're all on the same team…") to find a satisfactory approach. Sometimes this involves striking a mutual compromise, sometimes one side can be brought to accept another's viewpoint. Sometimes brainstorming and "out of the box thinking" can result in a new approach that satisfies all parties. The product manager is in the best position to facilitate these kinds of discussions.
There are many skills required for conducting negotiations successfully, but listening is fundamental to success. A PM needs to be able to understand the concerns of each team member - otherwise he will be perceived as an advocate for one side. The PM may ultimately adopt one viewpoint, but a good negotiator will do so only after ensuring that the other side knows that he understands their point of view.
The Power of Good Ideas
Never underestimate the persuasive power of a good idea. A product manager is not just someone who communicates data and facilitates discuss - a good PM is a creative part of the team who is constantly contributing ideas to the development process.
This begins from the beginning of data collection - it's the PM who has to decide what questions to ask and who to ask - through the design of the product. A PM is in a unique position - being responsible for understanding the market, the customer and product design - and has the opportunity to develop insights that no one else is in a position to conceive.
In a healthy development environment, good ideas are persuasive. They need to be expressed clearly and it's usually more effective to share ideas in a collaborative way, rather than "bringing stone tablets down from the mountaintop." In some organizations there is a fierce pride of idea ownership, and a competition to get one's own ideas built. In this situation, it's often most effective for a PM to practice the art of humility and let other team members take over an idea. It's important to keep in mind that the PM's responsibility - and ultimate "masterpiece" - is the whole, successful product, not a single feature. In fact, one of the PM's most powerful persuasive tools is recognition: ensuring that people receive credit for ideas and hard work. Giving credit is persuasive, taking credit isn't.
Ultimately, the art of persuasion is a product manager's most powerful tool. It's built on a mastery of technical skills and good interpersonal relations, but without the ability to communicate persuasively, a product manager is nearly powerless.
Persuasion isn't just a matter of being nice to people and saying please and thank you, though that doesn't hurt. It's an art that's built on several skills that can be cultivated.
Articulation
Information is the product manager's best friend. Data from customer research, market analysis, sales, product support, and finance is key to shaping smart policies, and then persuading others that they make sense. Opinions may make for good conversations, but facts persuade.
Persuasive data comes in all shapes and sizes. Certainly a quantitative survey can provide a solid foundation for a recommendation, but so can an informal conversation with a customer if it is set in a context that's meaningful, with data that shows it's representative of other customers. Even if Sales doesn't do a formal win/loss analysis, a product manager can build one from a series of discussions with Sales staff, resulting in highly useful data.
Data is useless without good analysis. Insights come when information is viewed in different ways, and when data from different sources is combined and interpreted. The more thorough your analysis, the more sound (and persuasive) your conclusions will be. And, of course, it's important to present data effectively, whether in a well-written MRD, an executive presentation, or a hallway conversation. (Never underestimate the importance of your "elevator story"!)
A PM can also play a valuable role in articulating other participants' viewpoints. As the center of the development ecosystem, the PM is often in a position to communicate the insights of Engineering to Marketing, of QA to Sales. Shared information can be the grease that keeps the development machine well-oiled, making the PM's job much easier.
Perhaps the single most important thing that a product manager can articulate is The Vision. It's a summary of the goals, the direction, and the spirit of a project. It should be universally understood, and never forgotten, and it's the PM's job to make sure it's clear and persuasive.
Negotiation
A product manager must often build consensus from conflicting interests and viewpoints. Sales may have one point of view ("we have to have the product next quarter") and engineering another ("it will take six months to finish the product"). Different viewpoints are sometimes both/all correct, from the point of view of the advocates. It's the PM's job to work with different team members ("remember, we're all on the same team…") to find a satisfactory approach. Sometimes this involves striking a mutual compromise, sometimes one side can be brought to accept another's viewpoint. Sometimes brainstorming and "out of the box thinking" can result in a new approach that satisfies all parties. The product manager is in the best position to facilitate these kinds of discussions.
There are many skills required for conducting negotiations successfully, but listening is fundamental to success. A PM needs to be able to understand the concerns of each team member - otherwise he will be perceived as an advocate for one side. The PM may ultimately adopt one viewpoint, but a good negotiator will do so only after ensuring that the other side knows that he understands their point of view.
The Power of Good Ideas
Never underestimate the persuasive power of a good idea. A product manager is not just someone who communicates data and facilitates discuss - a good PM is a creative part of the team who is constantly contributing ideas to the development process.
This begins from the beginning of data collection - it's the PM who has to decide what questions to ask and who to ask - through the design of the product. A PM is in a unique position - being responsible for understanding the market, the customer and product design - and has the opportunity to develop insights that no one else is in a position to conceive.
In a healthy development environment, good ideas are persuasive. They need to be expressed clearly and it's usually more effective to share ideas in a collaborative way, rather than "bringing stone tablets down from the mountaintop." In some organizations there is a fierce pride of idea ownership, and a competition to get one's own ideas built. In this situation, it's often most effective for a PM to practice the art of humility and let other team members take over an idea. It's important to keep in mind that the PM's responsibility - and ultimate "masterpiece" - is the whole, successful product, not a single feature. In fact, one of the PM's most powerful persuasive tools is recognition: ensuring that people receive credit for ideas and hard work. Giving credit is persuasive, taking credit isn't.
Ultimately, the art of persuasion is a product manager's most powerful tool. It's built on a mastery of technical skills and good interpersonal relations, but without the ability to communicate persuasively, a product manager is nearly powerless.