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Got a Great Product? Get Over it!: Effective product marketing is not about the product.
Webinar with Adele Revella
Four trends are converging to change the way technology companies market their products, driving the need for new skills and processes; products and markets are maturing, buying criteria and personas are changing, the buying process is changing, salespeople are dealing with change too. Learn how product management and marketing roles are evolving to drive more profitable, successful products and services.
Watch: "Got a Great Product? Get Over it!: Effective product marketing is not about the product".
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About the Presenter
Adele is the developer of the acclaimed Pragmatic Marketing seminar, Effective Product Marketing. Attended by thousands of product managers and marketers throughout the world, Effective Product Marketing is a roadmap for those who are lost in a list of tactics and want a way out of the madness. She has consolidated more than two decades of relevant experiences into a process that shows marketers how to think like their target audiences, including buyers, customers and sales people.
In the 1990’s Adele served in executive roles at three technology companies, guiding product management, marketing and sales teams to achieve leadership positions in untapped markets. Her market-driven approach was also heavily influenced by her tenure at Regis McKenna, Inc., the PR firm that defined technology marketing during the 80’s, plus five years running her own market research and consulting firm at the end of that decade.
how to sell the product marketing process
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
Start small. I suggest that you apply the process to a single goal, campaign or initiative, focusing, if possible, on something that management (a) has a fairly big stake in the outcome and (b) perceives to be a bit difficult to achieve. Then measure the results and show them how you used the process to achieve that outcome. In other words, carefuly choose a target and prove its success.
persona building fit in the phases of product definition
Posted by
Marv Hulshizer
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
Where does persona building fit in the phases of product definition, development and introduction?
persona building fit in the phases of product definition
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
Ideally, personas should be developed before the product is defined. User personas help to guide the product development process by focusing developers on the real needs of target users, rather than their own opinions about what should go into the product. Buyer personas guide marketing during the launch as they make decisions about messaging, targeting, segmentation, and program mix. However, it is never too late. Even a product that has been in the market for years can benefit from personas -- refocusing the company on how to address all of these issues going into new releases or in repositioning for greater success.
how do you suggest we provide "metrics" to our management?
Posted by
Bruce Klenk
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
I am all for the suggestion of making it easier for the buyer and avoiding a registration - but then how do you suggest we provide "metrics" to our management of how effective Marketing is being if we don't have names/contact info. Is the Sugarcrm web content effective or not? How will Sugarcrm measure it and know how to improve? Should they spend more on this area, or spend more Marketing resource/dollars elsewhere?
how do you suggest we provide "metrics" to our management?
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
At some point in the marketing process, you will want to ask for contact (registration) information. I just want you to think carefully about how much perceived value you give to your buyer before you ask for this information. Developing a persona, documenting their buying process, and looking at this decision to the eyes of your persona is the first step. Then try using different lengths of registration documents, using the reg document at different places on your website so that you can "measure and improve." In the SugarCRM example, they missed the opportunity to offer me something else of value after showing the demo. SugarCRM missed the opportunity altogether, Seilbel asked for too much too soon.
Is there a book that you've written that covers this topic?
Posted by
Darrian Stock
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
Is there a book that you've written that covers this topic? If so, what is the title?
Is there a book that you've written that covers this topic?
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
No, I have not written a book (yet). However, Pragmatic Marketing has a book that will be published in June, "Tuned In" and it covers many of the points in this webinar.
How does marketing influence customer retention?
Posted by
Edie Streams
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
How does marketing influence customer retention?
How does marketing influence customer retention?
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
This is one of the three primary goals that we use to measure marketing outcomes, and yet is the one that, on balance, marketing often is feels least empowered. So the ideal scenario is that marketers spend time listening to the customers, and then feed that information back inside the company as a strategic inifiative. If the only focus of marketing is tactics such as user events or website, you are missing the real opportunity. This is a cultural or political issue, but when the company works with our process, they often find a point of access and produce real internal change.
enough information to develop a persona?
Posted by
Mark Hattersley
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
fantastic session - thanks so much - this was brilliant!! how do you know when you have enough information to develop a persona? I am ready to begin to use a persona when I have enough information to see my product through his/her eyes. Is the persona real to me?
enough information to develop a persona?
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
Can I empathize with this persona's problems and priorities? Is the persona overly positive or negative with respect to my service or solution? I am never satisfied that I know "enough" about a target persona -- the persona is an ongoing investment, not a project. But depending on the risk of being wrong, I have begun to work with personas with only a few data points. I just make sure that I have an ongoing "measure and improve" step in my process. For more information, you might want to visit my Buyer Persona Blog at www.buyerpersona.com
Encouraging priorities and correct behaviors in Marketing
Posted by
John Mosier
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2008-05-07 02:48 PM
Are there any metrics or performance measures that you would recommend that might encourage the right priorities and behaviors in Marketing?
Encouraging priorities and correct behaviors in Marketing
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2008-05-07 05:24 PM
Great question. My first rule to change the performance in marketing is to measure folks on results, not efforts. At the highest level, the three results are growth in (a) profitable revenue, (b) customer retention, and (c) awareness and positioning -- what percentage of your target market identifies you as a provider, and what positive and negative attributes are associated with your product, service or solution. Identify incremental metrics in each of those categories. The key is to get the team focused away from the individual tactics and emphasize the strategic goals that management respects.
Win/Loss Interviews
Posted by
George Quebbeman
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2009-10-02 07:48 PM
Who is most effective DOING the win-loss interviews? Because in my experience it isn't Sales.
Win/Loss Interviews
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2009-10-04 09:26 PM
When Win/Loss is done by Sales, the data is skewed to focus on the product and price. Sales people are not in a position to gather the information we really need about the buying/selling process, or to deeply examine the variables the influenced the buyer's perceptions. When the Inbound Product manager's role is President of the product, the PM should conduct these interviews. No other activity provides the same opportunity to evaluate every aspect of the product's success. But many companies assign this role to outbound product marketing.
Big differences between product claims and actuality
Posted by
Rick Moy
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2009-10-05 02:31 PM
We have seen some pretty big differences between product claims and actuality; especially in the information security market. What are your thoughts about this? Can marketers be getting themselves into trouble? eroding brand trust by overpromising? What conversations happen between PMMs and PMs when divergence exists? And do they even know it?
Big differences between product claims and actuality
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2009-10-07 12:46 AM
Ouch -- Your instincts are entirely correct. You should never lie to the market about the capabilities included in the product. These falsehoods will be revealed when people buy the product and tell others. As a product marketer, your job is to target personas in the market who will be delighted with the product's real capabilities. The PM would know about this situation if he/she were doing the PM job, so it sounds like you've got another of problems. I'd try to find a market that works, and if none exists, I'd take my data to the PM and hope for the best. Good luck!
Are you familiar with the mind mapping software space?
Posted by
Cindy Solomon
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2009-10-05 02:31 PM
After 5 years, there is no longer innovation and missed opportunity to reach new markets. What would you advise a product manager to do?
Are you familiar with the mind mapping software space?
Posted by
Adele Revella
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2009-10-07 12:46 AM
Yes I know about some of the software in this market. Does your second question relate to missed opportunities for mind-mapping software or another market? Many PMs are disappointed about their company's capacity or willingness to pursue the opportunities they discover. That's why many PMs start their own companies. As a PM you can take pride in the fact that you've done your job really well -- presenting substantive data from a representative set of target buyers (not your opinions) to your internal stakeholders, along with a business case for the revenue potential in that market.
how to sell the product marketing process