Building strong customer relationships is the cornerstone of any successful product strategy. As product managers, we often focus on features and functionality, but the real magic happens when we connect with our users on a deeper level.

I've discovered that forging meaningful connections with customers falls into two distinct categories: those we're just getting to know and those we've built a rapport with over time. Let's explore strategies for both scenarios.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Cultivating New Customer Relationships

When approaching new customers or users, preparation is key. Before any interaction, I make it a priority to:

• Research their company, industry, and specific use cases
• Analyze their purchase history and support tickets
• Identify key stakeholders and decision-makers

This groundwork allows me to enter conversations with context and demonstrate genuine interest in their business.

Regardless of the relationship stage, following up on commitments is non-negotiable. After every meaningful interaction:

• Summarize key points and action items
• Set clear expectations for next steps
• Deliver on promises, no matter how small

This consistency builds trust and shows customers that their input is valued and acted upon.

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BEST MOMENTS

“Let them know that the evolution of your product relies on honest and constructive feedback from users like them.”

“Building rich relationships with your various stakeholders, especially your users, will transform you into an expert, shape you into a trusted resource, and actuate the accuracy of your knowledge toward your business's objectives for your customers.”

“If you listen to and solve problems for a broad base of your customers, your investments will become aligned with your business intentions.”

“You may need to carry the conversation with some users. Remind them that you asked for the meeting so that you could listen to their experiences, even if the feedback is not favorable.

VALUABLE RESOURCES

My free customer baseline guide + bonuses

My free tips for conducting customer feedback sessions

Check out my programs and workshops

ABOUT THE HOST

Heather has had more than 25 years of experience working with 1000s of customers and securing hundreds of millions of product funding. Early in her career, she was successful at rapidly growing start-up organizations, and over the past 15+ years she has a record of aligning diverse teams to deliver value for customers and strategies for organizations. All through having a focus on solving customer needs to achieve business outcomes.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Visit my community on Mighty Networks

Find me on LinkedIn

Email: info@listen-evolve-inspire.com

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Before I ever book a meeting with my management to ask for funding, lay out a strategy for my product's needs, or ask for sponsorship, I make sure what I'm asking for is grounded in reality.

Therefore, you will need an accurate and believable pitch. Precise prioritization of what should be in your pitch requires real user data, which means you need a broad enough sampling of user feedback to prove out the story for your pitch. Anything less than hard facts will only embarrass you and risk your credibility.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

1. The first thing I always do is seek out enough information from end users.
2. Here's a pro tip: I always ask my users to prioritize what's most important to them before concluding each feedback session. Doing so will reinforce the accuracy of your foundational data
3. The second action I take is sharing the summarized, prioritized user feedback with my business peers
4. The second action output will include summaries of prioritized user feedback and business priorities, which were mapped using user data.
5. My third action is to share the business output with my stakeholders. This output is aimed at making informed decisions based on a combination of prioritized user and business needs.
6. The stakeholder analysis's output should include details of resources, effort scoping, timelines, and budget requirements. I like to summarize these details into points within the overall product program pitch

DM me in my community on Mighty Networks, ask me anything!

BEST MOMENTS

“When I prepare for a pitch, I need to anticipate the questions and possible push-back moments from what I'm presenting. The pitch needs to make sense right away to the new listeners.”

“The priorities of what I'm asking for must be rock-solid, or I won't get the business to invest in my strategy.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

My free guide

Check out my programs and workshops

ABOUT THE HOST

Heather has had more than 25 years of experience working with 1000s of customers and securing hundreds of millions of product funding. Early in her career, she was successful at rapidly growing start-up organizations, and over the past 15+ years she has a record of aligning diverse teams to deliver value for customers and strategies for organizations. All through having a focus on solving customer needs to achieve business outcomes.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Visit my community on Mighty Networks

Find me on LinkedIn

Email: info@listen-evolve-inspire.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As December comes to a close, I like to revisit my year. From a fiscal year perspective, I review the goals of my mid-year in-flight programs.

1. Are your programs on track, and can you measure their trajectory?
2. What must occur from January through June to accomplish your goals?
3. Then, what strategic business outcomes can you plan for and fulfill to meet goals between July and December?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Another way I reflect on my year is to assess if my work compelled me to evolve how I interacted with my customers, partners, peers, stakeholders, and management.

1. Did I target and act on my professional development goals to level up my skills and add one new habit to my professional operating model, making my goals a reality?
2. Did I receive or seek out feedback from others about how I can evolve my techniques for interacting with the teams I work with?
3. Did I cultivate any new customers and partners into advisory roles this year?
4. Looking beyond myself, who did I mentor or support with their role or career?

DM me in my community on Mighty Networks, ask me anything!

BEST MOMENTS

“As a professional, it’s essential to constantly assess what’s working and what’s not working so that you can evolve your next opportunity.”

“Challenge yourself to mature a reputable operating model. Then, work it into your daily practice.”

VALUABLE RESOURCES

My free guide

Check out my programs and workshops

ABOUT THE HOST

Heather has had more than 25 years of experience working with 1000s of customers and securing hundreds of millions of product funding. Early in her career, she was successful at rapidly growing start-up organizations, and over the past 15+ years she has a record of aligning diverse teams to deliver value for customers and strategies for organizations. All through having a focus on solving customer needs to achieve business outcomes.

CONNECT & CONTACT

Visit my community on Mighty Networks

Find me on LinkedIn

Email: info@listen-evolve-inspire.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.