What Makes a Good Product Manager: Must-Have Qualities In Any Shortlisted Candidate

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Product management is a widely growing field. Many candidates are finding this field appealing. If your organization has shortlisted the candidates to be great product managers, it is important for you to know the must-have qualities of a good product manager.  

Here are the must-have qualities to look for in a good product manager, as per the product management consultants. Let’s find out.

product management consultants

Passionate for Products

Product managers must be in love with the products. They should have the ability to recognize outstanding products and admire them. They should be able to tell you about the product, why some customers love it, and why some are not giving good reviews.  

It is essential for a product manager to look at what needs of the customers are still not fulfilled and how they can take steps to improve the product. Depicting passion about the products always results in the development of something great.

Strategic Thinker

A product manager is also sometimes called mini-CEO. He should be able to understand the current product strategy to see how it aligns with the overall strategy of the company. Additionally, understanding the product vision and knowing how it will generate value for the customers is also important. 

The shortlisted candidate for a great product manager must know the unique selling proposition of the company to clearly articulate the strategies. In short, your company needs a long-term roadmap to build good products. This all will help in creating a winning product that will surely delight the customers. 

Build Excellent User Experience

In the competitive world, building an excellent user experience is the need of the hour, and the product managers hold a key part in it. They should know to design interaction diagrams and test them to build emotive visual designs to fulfill this. Many of the teams don’t have the comfort of having a visual designer and interaction designer. But the product manager fulfills the responsibilities of an interaction designer and appoints someone else to do visual design. 

Even with the presence of an interaction designer, a product manager should perform to the top of his ability to demand the very best. He should hold the skill of telling when the design is good and when it is bad. Having the ability to see if the product is meeting the demands of the customers in the most efficient way and if all the interactions are going well together in a logical manner is what makes a good product manager.

Empathize With The Customers

It is very difficult to find a product manager who has relevant experience in your industry. But always hire the one who deeply empathizes with your target audience. You have to pay extra attention if you are developing a consumer product. Check whether the product manager knows who the target market of the product is or not. Therefore, a candidate should empathize with the customers and respect them. 

Ability to Prioritize

Being able to prioritize which work to do first is one of the vital qualities of a product manager. Once the product manager knows the art of prioritization, your company can make a good mark in the market. The product manager should form the product strategy with the individual features and prioritize them accordingly to acquire the maximum returns. 

Leadership Qualities

Building and developing a product is a collaborative process, so a product manager should be of a collaborative nature. No wonder the product manager is the leader of the product, but still, most people in the development team do not report directly to him. Furthermore, various functional groups and consumers show product requirements, and these all requirements are equally important. Therefore, a product manager should hold power to inspire others rather than be dictatorial. 

He should be able to tell why he is choosing a particular feature over others for any product. He should be confident and assertive while stating his reasons for choosing a particular thing. 

Leadership qualities

Execution

Product managers should know how to execute the plan. In other words, they need to get things done. There are a million things to do before shipping a product, and the product manager should be an expert in doing all those things. He needs to write marketing copies, edit HTMLs, to name a few. Many times, he is the one who has to do PR also. Thus, he should go beyond his limits to make the product a grand success. 

To Sum It Up!

It is needless to say that a good product manager must have the above-mentioned qualities. At the end of the day, the responsibility of making things happen relies on him. 

PALARINO PARTNERS believe in building world-class product management teams. This will not only reduce the cost of mis-hire but also makes your product a grand success in your organization. So, without ado, contact for further assistance, and they will march your organization towards victory. 

Important Product Management Skills To Look For In A Candidate

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A product manager is the one who is responsible for every stage of a product’s life cycle. The stages include pricing, sales, and analysis. No wonder this is an important position that requires a unique set of skills. Moreover, a career in this field is also scaling high. Now companies look for good product managers for a good business.

Product Management Skills

If any company has openings for product manager jobs, here are some important product Management skills to look for in a candidate.

Broad Business Knowledge

Having the perfect knowledge of business fundamentals is necessary to be great at product management. If you want the best fit for your organization, see whether a candidate is good in consumer research, budgeting, cash flow, and competitive intelligence. Understanding of business case development is also important.

Market Research and Analysis

General market metrics and the product implications must be taken into account before presenting the product to the customers. Product managers play a vital role in this process. They ensure the correctness of the product roadmap and accurate market data. They cannot rely on their intuition only. Successful product managers do thorough market research and consumer surveys. They draw a competitive analysis as per the market trends and tell you about the potential threats if any.

Development

The most important stage in the lifecycle of the product is development. For instance – if you are developing a product that requires technical know-how, a manager with the knowledge of electronics and engineering might be of great help to you. But it is still important to strike the right balance between technical knowledge and business concepts to ensure that your product will go a long way. 

Prioritization

Successful product managers know very well to prioritize which work first. That is why they are said to be diligent prioritizers. Maintaining the balance between task-level and product-level while emphasizing strategic priorities is very necessary. Additionally, product managers must be well-versed with budget issues and human error and maintain the essential order of tasks.

Design knowledge

The usability of the product determines the longevity of the product’s life. By going in-depth into understanding the customer requirements and then performing market research, product managers come to know about the design elements. They ensure that these design elements provide ease to the customers to solve their problems and create a valuable experience for them. 

For instance – A company is designing a slow cooker for the ones who have never used it. So the product managers of the company may suggest a user interface that will give a more comfortable experience to the users. The product manager can also suggest including a unique feature that users can use to check the slow cooker’s progress with the help of their smartphones.

Pricing And Revenue Modeling

Product management gives utmost attention to forecasting and planning. Pricing and revenue models are important subsets of this attention. Product managers try to develop the communicated value of the product. The cross-functional team then considers this communicated value to decide on the set price and revenue source of the product. This information is then used in the revenue model. 

The responsibility of bringing a great product to market relies on product managers, but it is the cross-functional team that decides the final price of the product. Therefore, product managers need to have a good set of soft skills to ensure a smooth product lifecycle; coordinating well with all the stakeholders to bring a profitable product to market. 

Undoubtedly, technical skills are a must if you hire a product manager, but soft skills are also required. It includes communication, creativity, adaptability, and problem-solving abilities. A combination of good technical skills and soft skills increases your value in front of the employer. Let us put light on some of the soft skills.

Communication Skills

Different people work on the product at different production phases. It is important to develop strong coordination and communication among them. A great product manager must know how to develop transparency in verbal and written communication to keep all the members aware. This will help the product to launch on time and within the budget. 

Analytical Thinking

Development, longevity, and release of the product – all depend on critical and analytical thinking. As market trends and consumer expectations change, components of a product’s life cycle also witness changes. Thus, it is necessary for a product manager to be vigilant to understand the market trends effectively.

To Sum It Up!

It is no wonder that the industry of product management will continue to change in the coming time with respect to business and technology. Therefore, hone your skills to be a great product manager.

You can reach PALARINO PARTNERS for any assistance. We build World-class product management teams so that your organization would not face any mis-hire. Hence, give wings to your product with the PALARINO PARTNERS and read the higher returns.

Should You be a Product Management Consultant or a Product Manager?

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Product Management is a difficult job. It’s more than just managing the product; it’s about building relationships with stakeholders, conducting research on the market, and figuring out how to get buy-in for new products. And that’s on top of all the other work you do as a Product Manager! If you’re feeling frazzled from your current role or looking for a change in direction, should you be a Product Management Consultant or Product Manager? That depends upon what type of person you are. In this blog, we will explore both options and advice to help make your decision easier. 

1. Product Management Consultant

The Product Management Consultant role is very new. Product Managers are still struggling to figure out what Product Management really is, so Product Management consultants are even more of a mystery. Product Managers are hoping for help on projects but are wary of consulting firms who might take their position in the market too seriously and try to poach their employees. Product managers also know that they’re not experts at everything. They’re experts at Product Management, but maybe not marketing or design or business development. What happens if you bring someone in who tries to tell them how it’s done? Product Management Consultants can offer an external point-of-view which can be valuable, especially when working with smaller teams or inexperienced Product Managers. Product Management Consultants can also help Product Managers with the Product Marketing aspect of the role (and Product Marketers will often need help, too!)

Paulina Sliwa is Product Management Director at SAS Global services and leads client-facing Product Management consulting engagements in New York City. Product Management clients hire Product Management consultants when they are in a bottleneck,  when there’s not enough capacity to do everything that needs to get done, or when their employees are inexperienced in Product Management. Paulina grew her Product Management consulting practice by bringing in experts on specific topics like UX Design, Mobile Advertising, Quantitative Analysis, etc., so that her clients wouldn’t have to go outside of their company for Product Management expertise. Product management consultants specialize in Product Management and Product Marketing, but Product Managers often need help with other business areas too. Product Managers are currently responsible for all aspects of Product Management, so it makes sense that they would eventually reach a bottleneck where they cannot do everything themselves.

“As Product Management becomes more specialized, product managers will need to lean on outside resources, including Product Management Consultants.” – Paulina Sliwa, Product Management Director SAS Global services.

product management consultants

2. Skills Needed To Be A Successful Product Management Consultant

Product Management Consulting is still new enough that there aren’t many guidelines on who the best candidates are or what qualifications you should have to get started. One consulting firm requires Product Management consultants to have at least three years of Product Management experience, and at least five years in Product Management is preferred. Product Management Consulting is a great way to develop your Product Management skills and expertise as well as build relationships with Product Managers across different industries.

Patti Johnson, President ProductCamp DC and Product Marketing Manager for Loudoun County Public Schools, has been a Product Management Consultant since 2013. Her first client was the Director of Product at a major social network — someone she had previously worked under. She continued her work there because she really enjoyed the product strategy work and wanted to shape the company’s direction. It also allowed her to develop her personal brand. When you’re starting out, you need to be thinking about how Product Management consulting can help your career. Product Management consultants are hired for their expertise, which means they have a responsibility to share what they know with Product Managers. Product Management Consulting has the potential to open doors to higher-level Product Management roles at any company you’re consulting for.

“As Product Management increasingly becomes more specialized, Product Managers will need access to subject matter experts outside of their organization.” – Patti Johnson, ProductManager Loudoun County Public Schools

3. How To Get Started As A Product Management Consultant

One of the best ways to start learning about Product Management is to spend some time as an intern or entry-level employee at a technology startup. You can learn about Product Management consulting by working as a Product Marketing Manager at a larger company. Product Management Consultants need to be independent and self-sufficient; they’ve got to know how to manage their own time and show clients what they can do for them. Product Management Consultants are hired because of their expertise, so the best way to get started is through your personal network

4. Why Becoming A Product Management Consultant Could Make Your Career More Flexible

Becoming a Product Management Consultant has allowed Patti Johnson to travel more freely between IBM (where she now works) and Loudoun County Public Schools  (her client). Being an independent Product Management Consultant gives you the flexibility to work with multiple companies, which could help you decide where you want your Product Management career to take you next. Product management consulting offers the flexibility to work with companies in different types of Product Management — Product Managers at one company may do market research, and Product Managers at another may focus on building product features, for example.

The world is still adjusting to Product Management Consultants, but this doesn’t mean there aren’t opportunities for Product Management Consultants. Every time a company decides that they need Product Management Consulting, that’s an opportunity for Product Management Consultants. It just requires that you prove yourself, which can be tough when you’re new to Product Management Consulting.

5. Why Being A Product Manager Might Be The Better Choice For You

When it comes down to it, if you are passionate about Product Management, Product Management Consulting is probably not the best choice for you. Product Management Consultants work on Product Management tasks at any company that hires them, but Product Managers are responsible for Product Management day-to-day. Product Managers may always be managing Product Managers and Product Marketing Managers, but Product Management Consultants can’t just hope to waltz into a company and start making product decisions. Product Management Consulting requires extensive Business Analysis skills (which Patti Johnson had already developed) as well as an understanding of how to sell Product Management services to clients. If you’re looking for more of a business career, becoming a Product Manager might be the better choice for you.

6. Pros And Cons Of Being A Product Manager/Product Management Consultant

Product Managers are Product Management professionals, and Product Management Consultants may be Product Management experts. Product Managers and Product Management Consultants need different skills and experiences to meet their needs. Product Managers should take care of Product Management day-to-day; Product Management Consultants can help Product Managers by doing the Product Management tasks that Product Managers don’t have time for or aren’t as familiar with. However, like all careers, there are good reasons to become either a Product Manager or a Product Management Consultant (or both!).

Being both a Product Manager and a Product Management Consultant can help you see your product from two completely different angles. The ability to see your own career from multiple perspectives can make you more successful in all Product Management fields. Product Managers and Product Management Consultants both need Product Marketing skills to succeed, so building those Product Marketing skills can help you transition between the two careers without any hesitation. Product Managers work with Product marketing professionals regularly, so understanding Product Marketing as a Product Management Consultant will help you understand what they’re doing and why.

A career as a Product Manager or Product Management Consultant is going to be hard work. If making tough decisions, managing people, and using your expertise wasn’t hard enough, becoming a Product Manager or Product Management Consultant requires even more dedication. However, for those willing to put in the time and effort to become either a Product Manager or Product Management Consultant, there are significant opportunities for Product Management jobs and Product Management careers.

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Conclusion

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each career path. Ultimately, it comes down to what is best for your lifestyle and work-life balance. But the one commonality between both careers? You’ll be making an impact on a company that will affect many lives! The question isn’t whether or not you should become a Product Management Consultant or Product Manager; instead, it’s which of these paths offers the most benefits for you right now at this moment in time.

What Do Product Management Consultants Do?

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Product Management Consulting is a lucrative field, and not one to be taken lightly. Product Management Consultants are the bridge between the needs of clients and the capabilities of companies. They can help you find new ways to sell your product or service, restructure your team, develop a new strategy for growth, or create an entirely new product that better meets customer demands.  The Product Managers who need help with their projects should consider reaching out to a consultant for guidance and advice on how best to proceed in order to achieve desired outcomes. These professionals can also serve as mentors by providing valuable information about trends in business and insights into what works and what doesn’t work in this industry. Consulting firms offer competitive rates with high-quality deliverables tailored specifically for each client’s product.

Product Manager Vs. Product Management Consultant

A Product Management Consultant is a product consultant who works with Product Managers and Product Owners to build products or help them do what they need to do. Product Management Consultants typically work in product consulting companies, though there are also individual Product Management Consultants. Product Management Consultants help Product Managers with product requirements, product roadmaps, product release schedules, and product estimates.

product management

Product Management Consultants work with Product Managers to define their vision for a product, identify the Product Manager’s strategy from the vision statement, and then confirm that there is clarity in how that strategy is going to be executed. Product Management Consultants help Product Managers plan for product release, work with Product Managers to build product requirements, develop product roadmaps, and ensure that the steps are in place to get products out. Product Management Consultants are responsible for making sure that the Product Manager has all of the tools and information necessary to do their job well

What Product Management Consultants Do Day to Day?

Product Management Consulting companies may be a Product Manager’s best friend. Product Managers typically have a full plate, which Product Management Consultants can help with by freeing up some of the Product Manager’s time for things that Product Managers need to do from their job description, such as product discovery meetings and product backlog prioritization. Product Management Consultants can also help Product Managers by doing product requirements, product roadmap development, and product release estimation. Product Management Consulting companies typically have Product Management Consultants that work on product discovery meetings with Product Managers to map out the vision for a product or product line, then determine the best strategy for executing that vision. 

The Product Management Consultant will help confirm if what Product Managers are planning is feasible and doable within the specified time frame. Product Management Consultants also perform product estimation, which helps determine if Product Managers will be able to accomplish product tasks within the product release schedule.

Why Hire A Product Management Consultant?

The Product Managers themselves might have years of Product Management experience under their belt but often lack the experience working with a product management consulting company. This is where Product Management Consultants come in! They bring leadership skills as well as creativity, analytical thinking for problem-solving or decision making, understanding trends within their industry (or field) that pertain specifically towards marketing aspects depending on what type of business they work with. Ecommerce companies might need more customer-focused advice when it comes down to how much money should be spent advertising online versus offline. Lastly, Product Management Consultants must have some technical know-how, including knowledge about various software packages used today like Jira(TM), Trello®, or Google Drive™.

The Product Management Consultants must bring a unique set of skills to the Product Manager consulting table and have to be able to effectively communicate their suggestions with Product Managers to get things done.   

consulting services

Conclusion

Product Managers looking for the best results should find a good Product Management Consultant at their company. The skills that make up a successful partnership between these two parties depend on what’s going to work well with both individuals and how they will achieve business goals together in order not only to produce but also market products from start to finish!

 
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