Product managers want to speak to clients. It’s not all the time straightforward, they usually don’t all the time inform us what we wish to hear. But when we hear rigorously, we are able to study rather more than what they really say. Here’s what my boss as soon as taught me about easy methods to actually take heed to our clients.
In SVPG’s Coach the Coaches workshop held final month in London, Marty Cagan talked about the truth that product managers will need to have direct entry to clients. To most of you, this in all probability sounds trivial (or at the least so I can hope), however I’ve seen and skilled firsthand corporations the place salespeople are reluctant to let others discuss to clients immediately. I’ll get again so far in a couple of paragraphs, however first I wish to share with you a narrative a few particular man I had the privilege of studying from.
In my first function outdoors of R&D, the one which finally led me to product administration, I reported to the Director of Options of the corporate, a man referred to as Raviv. Raviv was a seasoned supervisor with a few years of expertise. He was already a seasoned supervisor once I received my first managerial function again in 2000 (I do know that as a result of he taught us undertaking administration within the administration coaching class I attended again then). He wasn’t all the time a simple boss although. He labored across the clock, was very meticulous, and all the time wished issues to be good.
A type of issues he wished to good, or at the least so I believed, was do’s and don’ts once you discuss to clients. As a beginner from R&D who didn’t have a lot face time with clients earlier than, Raviv felt the necessity to put together me for every assembly. He would go into particulars of what we are able to and can’t say, emphasizing repeatedly that no matter I say now represents your complete firm and never simply myself. He saved explaining the dynamics of a B2B sale and gave me the sensation that all the things is so fragile. One fallacious phrase may wreck a great deal.
Sooner or later, after so many occasions he defined it to me, I knew I received it. I received the ideas, I already knew easy methods to keep away from the landmines of a fancy dialog, I realized easy methods to say no in a means that leaves sufficient opening for the dialogue to proceed, and practiced repeatedly the endurance required to say ‘let me examine it and get again to you’. When Raviv saved giving me his prep talks earlier than every buyer assembly (often over espresso outdoors, we have been truly visiting clients of their places of work again then!), I began feeling that he was over defending the purchasers and offers in play. I advised myself that it was his downside, that he was nearly paranoid about shedding offers the place issues appeared to work simply high quality.
It was solely two years later, once I was already a product supervisor at a distinct firm, that I noticed how a lot he was proper. I realized firsthand how fragile enterprise gross sales processes have been, and nonetheless was in a position to acquire the belief of the gross sales group who wished me to hitch conferences with clients since they knew I might assist and never break issues. I discovered myself utilizing the talents that Raviv taught me every day. I felt so grateful.
Now, again to Marty Cagan’s workshop. Marty shared that at HP, the gross sales group created a coaching referred to as “Attraction Faculty”, to show product managers the secrets and techniques of correct communication with clients. After I heard it, I instantly realized that I had my very own Attraction Faculty — the one Raviv created only for me.
Sadly, I didn’t get to thank Raviv in particular person since he handed away earlier than I had the possibility to take action, however I nonetheless use his classes on a regular basis, and train them to others since I do know most individuals don’t get that sort of correct coaching. Right here is among the most essential ideas I realized from Raviv: easy methods to actually take heed to your clients.
Raviv training his bike-riding interest. One other factor he did wholeheartedly, like all the things else he was engaged in.
One of many issues Raviv taught me was easy methods to hear, and it additionally included easy methods to reply. Or higher but — easy methods to NOT reply.
Raviv all the time most well-liked to finish the assembly the second we had all the knowledge we wanted and get again to the client with a thought-through response solely afterward. Taking the time to suppose by the response allowed us, after all, to reply extra responsibly and return a greater reply.
However Raviv didn’t go away it at that. His strategy of listening continued lengthy after the assembly has ended.
After every assembly with a buyer or stakeholder, we might set time to sit down collectively and focus on our response. Raviv began every of those discussions with the identical query: “so, what did they really inform us?”.
The query wasn’t concerning the phrases they used. It was concerning the underlying messages — typically clear and typically hidden in what they mentioned, their physique language, how they reacted to sure questions and likewise the issues they didn’t say.
To get to totally perceive our clients, we wanted to investigate all the things listed above. We spend a great chunk of our discussions speculating and making an attempt to unravel what they really advised us — in phrases and in quite a lot of different methods.
The selections we took and the response we gave have been based mostly on our understanding of what they have been making an attempt to say (together with all of the hidden alerts), not essentially on the phrases they really mentioned.
This functionality of attending to the underside of what individuals really need, even when they didn’t inform us explicitly, lies on the coronary heart of the product chief’s work. Henry Ford’s horses and all.
Sadly I typically see a distinct sample nowadays. Everybody is aware of we must be data-driven. Everyone seems to be in search of validation and solutions from potential clients and stakeholders. However I too typically hear “I requested them, however they didn’t say what they wanted. So what ought to I do now?”, and even “however I gave them what they mentioned they wished, why aren’t they completely satisfied?”.
Nicely, that a part of determining what they really want is on you, not on them. They don’t seem to be product individuals. They will solely discuss of their language and symbolize how they suppose. The refined artwork of attending to a deeper understanding of what they want is your job to grasp.
I can’t probably embrace in a single article all the things it’s essential to know and what to do precisely to get to totally perceive your clients. Furthermore, that is significantly better achieved in an ongoing mentoring course of like I received from Raviv and I supply my clients at present — on-job coaching with actual issues to resolve collectively.
However you can begin straight away with the behavior I realized from Raviv and talked about above:
After every buyer assembly, take the time to mirror on the assembly. Ideally do it not instantly afterward, give issues a while to sink in.
If there was somebody with you within the assembly, do it with them — a dialogue in these circumstances is healthier than pondering alone.
Ask your self the next questions:
- What did they really inform us?
- What did their physique language suggest?
- Which questions resulted in a stronger emotional response, and why?
- Which subjects have been they engaged in, and which have been they extra reluctant to debate?
- What does it imply?
After you’ve gotten a probably deeper understanding of what they really want, there is a crucial validation step that you simply don’t wish to miss. It doesn’t require speaking to the client once more. It requires a actuality examine in your facet.
To do it, it’s essential to ask your self this:
“In the event that they actually meant <what you suppose they meant>, would they discuss and reply as they did?”
When the reply is “sure” and all of it is sensible, you might be good to go. Now you can make choices based mostly on this new, deeper understanding of their wants, even when they didn’t describe them explicitly.
Bonus tip: the identical methodology works nice additionally together with your managers, traders, friends, and every other stakeholder. Product management begins with the power to actually, deeply perceive individuals — clients in addition to everybody else.
