Culture

Product Marketing Owns Insight

 

outsideinvew.comOn the advice (and prodding) of my friend Jim Holland, I also recently read The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson of the Corporate Executive Board. Like Jim, I then picked it up again, with a highlighter and pen and started again. (Side note – Jim was referred to this book by Steve Johnson.)

Jim wrote a great post about what he learned, as a product leader. In his post, he focuses on the main point of the Challenger Sale, that it is not about sales building relationships, but to challenge them. To rethink, reshape and change how you engage and lead. He further explains three models related to product leaders that are relevant: understanding the buying process, buyer personas and speaking the language of the buyer. (more…)

By |May 16th, 2013|Buyers, Communication, Management, Marketing, Product Marketing, Sales|0 Comments
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The Pendulum has swung to the other side

outsideinview.comTraditional new product launch has included catching a new product as the development organization tossed it over the fence. Product marketing would dust off their launch check list and make sure that all the tactics were accomplished. They would book appearances at trade shows, write press releases, design data sheets, plan direct mail campaigns to current customers, research advertising opportunities in trade publications and other assorted tasks on the checklist. (more…)

By |March 28th, 2013|Buyers, Communication, Management, Marketing, Personas, Product Launch, Product Management, Product Marketing, Sales, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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This is Simple

outsideinview.comThis is a simple post….

But, imagine how much more we could all accomplish – for ourselves and our companies – if we stopped the bickering and territory battles!

If politics were taken out of the corporate world, and we all worked together - no matter what department you sat in or work you performed, no matter what you were paid or how long you’ve been in the role, no matter who was your boss or what hours you worked – wouldn’t we all accomplish more?

Think about it.

 

By |January 11th, 2013|Appreciation, Business Culture, Communication, Management, Marketing, Product Management, Product Marketing, Sales, Service|1 Comment
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Stop the Madness

outsideinview.comYour phone rings. The caller ID shows it’s from Nancy, the sales manager. You cringe!

As a product professional, we are all too familiar with horror stories initiated by our sales teams. Remember the one where the sales leader promised a feature, and then put it in the contract so it is legally binding and then, afterwards, tells you – meaning you have to disrupt the scheduled release to accommodate this. Or, how about the one where the sales person doesn’t know the product so you are called to do the demo, at the very last minute, day after day.  Even the one where you found that the feature document that you spent weeks agonizing over was changed to “better meet our needs” and has already been used by the field force, of course, meaning more questions, since they are making claims that just aren’t real. (more…)

By |October 15th, 2012|Business Culture, Marketing, Product Management, Product Marketing, Sales|3 Comments
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Stop Asking for Permission

outsideinview.comI am lucky. I have an incredible mentor in my life who is also a wonderful friend. He’s the kind of mentor that will be the first in line to support me; but, has no problem slapping me down and back into reality when I need that as well. And, sometimes, we have these incredible great conversations that come out of nowhere. That happened the other day over lunch.

By |March 27th, 2012|Business Culture, Communication, Development, Job Search, Personal Development, Product Camp, Product Management, Product Marketing|2 Comments
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