There is a long list of expected skills for a product manager. According to the definition, the Product Manager looks after the whole localization process, right from the beginning to the end. Product management was getting since a long ago, but the term ‘Product Manager’ came into existence later. The former works with the user experience, business, and technology.
The Product Manager must be a good team player, understand the basic concepts related to the process and product, and work for the betterment of the customers and the company. So, several skills make a good Product Manager.
Skills Required For A Product Manager (PM)
The following are the skills that make a good Product Manager:
- Task Prioritization
A good PM will come across various personalities, pressures, and priorities. It must prioritize the right things leading to the betterment of product management. It gets easier if it focuses on solving the current challenge. The PM must get ruthless and punctual. Research and data-driven results will help the PM have a clear idea to prioritize the tasks.
- Customer Satisfaction
The PM must have creativity, empathy, and interaction in the case of customers because customer satisfaction is a must. Customer reviews through several mediums (social media, interviews, walkthroughs, etc) will help understand their pain points and solve the same. It must inform (required data only) the customers about what the company is doing to serve them and keep them enrolled.
- Knowing About The Trends
According to the previous point, the PM must prioritize customer satisfaction because they pay for the product. So, it must know what is going on in the market and how it affects the customer’s life. It must live in the present and future, and collaborate with the other stakeholders to work on the same.
- Holding The People Together
The PM acts as the medium between the customers, engineering, and design. Similarly, it must be a team player. The PM has a tricky position because it must look after product management from the beginning to the end without having any organizational authority. It can be done by communicating with all stakeholders effectively and gaining their trust.
On one hand, the PM must interact with the customers. On the other hand, it must hold all stakeholders together for effective product management. It must motivate the customers and the team members. Understanding different views are the key. Similarly, the PM must be a great storyteller who will work. The remaining people will get influenced after seeing the PM work as said.
Skills For The Types Of Product Managers (PMs)
The following are the Product Managers that work on different aspects of the company:
- Design Product Manager
A PM interacts with several designers. So, it must have at least a basic understanding related to product design. Some required skills are interaction design, visual design elements, user modeling, functionality, interaction, usability, and good taste in design. However, the PM must not pressurize the designers the proposed design is not good.
- Business Product Manager
The Business PM must understand the business objective and the customer requirements. The former must meet the latter. Understanding related to profit, revenue, turnover, cash flow, sales, budget, etc is also a must. Business intelligence can get developed practically and theoretically including formal education.
- Growth Product Manager
On the one hand, the Growth PM must focus on short-term goals and business objectives. On the other hand, it must also consider long-term customer satisfaction.
However, the Growth PM focuses more on business growth as compared to the traditional. It tends to experiment, get curious, and take risks, while the traditional may get rigid with these aspects.
- Technical Product Manager
The Technical PM differs from the traditional PM. Prototyping, agile methodology, Microsoft Excel, A/B testing, data analysis, product research, technical writing, coding, and data collection are a few skills required for a Technical PM.
However, it depends on the industry it works in. Similarly, it must have required qualifications such as a degree in a technical field, product management, and MBA.
Job Description
The following are the examples of Product Manager job description meaning what a typical company looks for in a PM:
Example 1
- Must work with cross-functional teams skillfully in an organization with the matrix pattern.
- Written and oral communication skills.
- Proven experience in product development and marketing strategies.
- BS or MS in Computer Science or a related field.
Example 2
- Managing cross-functional teams effectively.
- Public speaking and presentation skills.
- Editing and writing skills.
- Experience in excellent product marketing strategies.
The Top Product Managers
The following are the top PMs to motivate you:
- Dan Olsen
He is an author, consultant, coach, product management trainer, and more. One can find him at international conferences where he advises on product management, user interface, and business growth. Medallia, Microsoft, and Box are some of his clients.
- Nir Eyal
He completed his MBA from Stanford in 2008 and founded a company with fellow students. He worked as a CEO and used Facebook for online advertisement. He has learned and applied the techniques to manipulate and motivate users by working in advertising agencies.
- Eric Ries
He is the CEO of the Long-Term Stock Exchange and one of the best young entrepreneurs in technology according to BusinessWeek (in 2007). He has founded and served on the advisory boards of several technology startups.
- Marty Cagan
He has been the product leader at HP, eBay, and Netscape. He has specialized in defining and improving the product development process and defining successful products. Cagan is the founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group.
Conclusion
A good Product Manager must know how to prioritize tasks. Customer satisfaction comes at the top of the list. Similarly, it must stay updated with the trends and know how to hold the stakeholders and the teammates together. This article also shows how the PMs working with different aspects of the company must possess the related skills. Finally, you will find examples of top Product Managers.
