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Sales and service teams may be aiming for the same goal—satisfied, long-term clients—but too often, they operate independently from one another. This often results in missed opportunities, poor customer service, and diminished customer loyalty. Without a unified approach, client expectations can fall through the cracks, leaving both sales reps and teams scrambling to fix the customer relationship rather than nurturing them, long term. The solution to this is simple. We...

In the business world, sales teams and customer support teams work hand-in-hand to create better customer experiences and more room for revenue growth. Together, they form a dynamic partnership that fosters collaboration and encourages new ideas. However, too often, sales and customer service teams operate in silos, missing valuable opportunities to align their goals and efforts. The result? Unfulfilled customer expectations and reduced customer retention rates. One common issue companies...

By Stacey Weber Uncertainty is the nature of product management. After all, we are constantly predicting what the market will buy and forecasting what products and features will delight our users. That uncertainty can be hard to handle, and you’re surrounded by people who aren’t afraid to be vocal about their beliefs and opinions. It can feel risky and stressful to make uncertain decisions, especially when the team seems ready...

By Stacey Weber The fictional product manager – we’ll call him Pete – starts work early one Monday, eager to find out how the team is progressing with requirements analysis, design, and (his real goal) scheduling. Pete knows that most of the team isn’t in the office yet – but he gets an email from engineer Ed and picks up the phone. Ed answers, also glad that someone else is...

By Stacey Weber One of the most difficult things about being a product manager is that you’re confronted with every failure, real or imagined. If development falls behind schedule, they’ll (hopefully) come to you with the information. When an executive makes a promise to a large customer, you’ll be the one expected to deliver. If Sales signs a contract for custom development, it’s your roadmap that might need to be...

By Stacey Weber Whenever I travel outside the U.S., I am struck by the number of people who speak multiple languages fluently. On one particular trip, I was in the Brussels airport. The ticket counter agent was speaking at least 4 languages – and she knew them so well that she could quickly switch between them. She’d get someone checked in using French, then turn around and answer a quick...

Storytelling is a great tool for connecting with your audience. Good business storytelling not only allows you to speak to your audience in an engaging way, it also allows you to connect with them emotionally. How can you utilize storytelling’s power in your business to capture attention and build trust? We have a few thoughts that will transform how you tell a good story. By the end of this post,...

By Stacey Weber The world is busy, work is busy, and there are only so many hours in a day! It seems like we’re constantly being asked to do more with fewer resources. Without good time management skills, product managers carry a high risk of burn out. Here are my top 10 tips to manage your time more effectively! 1) Every hour you spend in the field will save you...

By John Geraci & Brad Childress In our previous post we commented on the proliferation of sales tools and technologies that have hit the market in the last several years.  We questioned the effectiveness of these tools in general and challenged all of you to test this to determine if your sales teams were really using them. We think not and recommend turbocharging these efforts another way. Brad is known...

The Impact Of Transformational Listening According to a study from the University Of California, poor listening skills negatively impact 70% of all employees. This means frustrating misunderstandings, workplace errors, and eroded trust within teams. While developing active listening skills is a great start to combat this, it’s not enough to truly change how your business operates and impacts people. Because there are so many communication channels today, communication is more...

By John Geraci & Brad Childress It is no doubt that the methods of selling have shifted dramatically in our digital world. The customer’s buying journey has changed and wants to talk with us much later in their journey while purchasing on a subscription/adoption model vs big bang.  With all the information sources available to them on us and our competitors, they can do more research and have knowledge about...

By Stacey Weber I’ve been contemplating the communication skills that product professionals (Product Managers, Product Owners, Product Marketing Managers, etc.) need to succeed. My last post touched on one of those skills – translating between the varied members of our team. Today, I’ve been thinking about the power that lies in your interactions with cross-functional teams. First off, you should have a cross-functional team for your product. This group can provide valuable...