Creating customer-centric products while using influence, building consensus and collaborating across the enterprise

1. The Heart of the Matter
Creating customer-centric products while using influence, building
consensus and collaborating across the enterprise
Calvin Marshall

2. My Background

3. Your opinion, although interesting, is
irrelevant – Steve Johnson, April, 2000

4. Online form
Point A
Point B
Operations
Pricing
Service
Delivery
Line Haul
Etc…
Shipping Label

5. Latin America
& Caribbean
PM
Fee
Mgmt
Sales
Cust.
Srvc
PMO
Web
Design
Mktg
Comms
Ops
Line
Haul
Pricing
PM
PM
Canada
United States

6. Parable of the blind men and the elephant

7. So….how do Product Managers work
with these disparate groups when, as
previously stated, their opinion is
irrelevant?

8. Humility
Can’t we
all just get
along?
Focus
On The
CustomerBring
Others
Along
Give Up
Some
Control
Influence
Without
Authority

9. Influence
Without
Authority
Five Types of Power
(Coercive, Reward, Legitimate, Expert, Referent)
 Features and functionality
 Customers in the office?
 Data, please!

10. Reach across the aisle to build consensus
 Understand to be understood
 Thanks for the invitation
 Find the keeper of the knowledge
Can’t we
all just get
along?

11. Bring
Others
Along
Create opportunities to build partnerships
 At work in the field
 Sharing is caring

12. They’re experts, too.
 Let a player play
 Seek opinion and input
 They’re pushing your agenda
Give Up
Some
Control

13. Know when to hold ‘em
 Intellectual curiosity
 Ask for help
Humility

14. Products are created to satisfy customers (or potential
customers) existing or latent needs.
 How does it impact the customer?
 Functionality, feature richness, overall experience?
 Reality Check: sometimes, its really a business need
Focus
On The
Customer

15. PM
PM
PM
When you’re dealing with this….

16. ……or worse, this…..

17. Your Competition
Your Team

18. Calvin Marshall
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinm
Twitter: co_marshall
Website: http://www.fourpeasconsulting.com