By John Mansour
It’s been on my mind for years, even to the point where we seriously considered developing it at Proficientz a few years ago. But we decided to practice what we preach and stick to our core competencies, at least for the foreseeable future.
But the frustration level from our clients is reaching a fever pitch as they look for technology solutions to support product management and product marketing functions. Yes, product marketing too!
If I had to characterize the sentiment from our clients, they’d say the current technology solutions help product managers manage products, but none of them help the organization develop a stronger product management and marketing discipline.
Comments I hear most often:
- “They’re bloated with features and difficult to implement and use.”
- “They focus on helping you manage whatever you’ve decided to do but none of them facilitate the decision process.”
- “They’re all requirements management packages in one form or another.”
Perception is reality, so I feel compelled to start this discussion – and you’re invited to join the party – in an effort to get technology providers and product professionals engaged in a conversation on a very different level to advance the cause. I can’t imagine who wouldn’t benefit!
For as long as I’ve been in the product management and marketing profession, we’ve aspired to become the heartbeat of the organization, not for selfish reasons but to help our organizations reach their full potential. With the right technology solution, this goal becomes a chip shot!
Who’s Invited to the Discussion?
- Product managers, marketers and strategists who need solutions
- Your counterparts from the technology solution providers
The discussion will take place in the Proficientz LinkedIn Group only so please share this blog with your social networks and let’s see if we can generate enough momentum to benefit both parties.
Isn’t it time to put our heads together in ways we’ve never done before and use social media to do something significant for our profession? Let’s make it happen.
Guidelines for the Discussion
Please use the following guidelines to keep the discussion engaging for everyone.
- Limited to B2B products and services.
Product Managers & Marketers Who Need Solutions
- Please focus the discussion on activities, goals and objectives and why they’re important to your organization (and not ask for features).
- Please do not make references (good or bad) to any product or service providers you’ve had experience with.
Technology Providers Who Build Product Management & Marketing Solutions
- Please refrain from promoting or defending your solutions either explicitly or implicitly.
- Please do not encourage your customers to drop testimonials into the discussion.
- Feel free to ask questions to clarify something.
Product Management Service Providers and Consultants
Remember, the purpose is to connect the people who need the solutions with the people who develop them. I recommend we sit on the sidelines and learn as much as we can from the discussion.
My role in the discussion will be a facilitator to kick things off and introduce topics that (in the eyes of our clients) never get any airtime on blogs or social media. All participants are welcome to do the same.
John Mansour
Tweet this: If I were building the ultimate tech solution for PMs and PMMs – http://wp.me/pXBON-3Zt #prodmgmt #innovation
About the author
John Mansour is a 20-year veteran in high technology product management, marketing and sales, and the Founder of Proficientz, a services company focusing on product portfolio management.