This is a short post. And I’m not going to get a soapbox and rant, nor will I try to educate or share my views. This is a short post.
It’s fall, and Product Camp season began last month starting in Atlanta, New York and Salt Lake City. But, the real camping season picks up speed starting this weekend with upcoming events in So. California (Orange County,) San Francisco, Seattle, Rocky Mountain, Chicago, Minneapolis and welcoming Nashville. (Apologies if I forgot any.) Make plans to attend a PCamp near you by visiting the “master” schedule list at: http://www.productcamp.org/schedule/
If you are planning to attend – and there really is no reason you should not attend at least one - or present or simply don’t understand the concept and why you should engage, please visit some of my past posts on product camps on this site:
Looking in from the outside, it’s time for product professionals – both management marketing types – to take control of their own careers and growth. Product Camps are OUR venues to do both
(and women, ping me to discuss the “Rainbow Chuck Initiative!”)
(This article is cross-posted at onproductmanagement.net)
I don’t know when it happened but it officially became fall in the Northern Hemisphere. Typically I would moan at this thought, which makes me think about how many bags of leaves I need to rake this season (typically 100 around my house,) or worse yet, that winter and the freezing temperatures are approaching. But this year I’m hoping the new season brings a breath of fresh air. This summer, I realized my parents are getting old. Three out of the four had a significant health problem. And while, thankfully, all are doing better now, it made me face the reality that needs, plans and provisions need to change.
It happens to our products too.
No doubt, in your role as a product professional – whether you are in product management or product marketing – you’ve been told, go out and get a market view. A view from someone that isn’t you or in your company; a view from someone who would pay for the product or service you are offering, if they had the problem. You could call it the outsidein view. (Okay, bad pun I know, but I couldn’t resist – it fits.)
Now it’s my turn.
For more than two years I’ve written for this blog, commenting on topics and issues I hear from fellow product professionals through following on Twitter, LinkedIn, and now Google +, or through meeting at product camps and networking, and from just my friends.
Now it’s your turn.
I have a long list of “agenda” topics which I can keep writing about, delivering my take on issues I see and hear are of interest and/or concern. But, what I care about is what YOU want to hear. What are the topics of interest to YOU. Where could YOU use the most experience, guidance or support? What problems are keeping YOU up at night? Bottom line, how can I help YOU?
I have a quick survey created. It’s 10 questions and takes no more than 3 minutes to complete. Will you please take the pause in your day and complete the survey? It will help me help YOU better.
Looking in from the outside, I can only be as relevant as you allow, enable and help me be.
Thank you, Jennifer
Mirror, Mirror on the wall, who is fairest… is that how your typical presentations start? Sounds a bit ego-driven, doesn’t it?
How about when you are networking? Do you introduce yourself with a simple handshake and a pleasant comment or two? Or, do you go into a long dialogue on who you are, what you think, how you act, what matters to you? A few people do this, but does it make for a good networking introduction?
Of course not. Most of us acknowledge ourselves and move on in the conversation with the person we have just met. We try to learn as much as we can about them, trying to establish a relationship that is mutual.
I am working with a small business client – a very small business and we had an interesting discussion around marketing her services. After getting past the concept of the product is a service… we talked about building trust and relationships with prospects and customers. I broke down the discussion into some simple non-marketing language that might help you in explaining all of this as well. I told it was like making a great sandwich. (more…)
