A few years in the past, I used to be a product supervisor over the API of an enterprise advertising platform. I sought suggestions from customer support, builders, gross sales, advertising… and most significantly… our prospects. Whereas many individuals utilized our UI for the duties that we centered on, I used to be virtually all the time surprised at how progressive prospects integrated some wonderful options. Particular to e mail, right here had been a couple of discoveries:
- QR Codes: Using substitution strings in picture supply URLs, I discovered that our prospects had carried out their QR code libraries to show customized, trackable coupons in e mail.
- Countdowns: We discovered that corporations constructed animated GIF e mail countdown timers to show of their emails. Because the consumer opened the e-mail and requested the picture, it precisely counted down for every subscriber otherwise.
- Click on Polls: Whereas we had constructed a tough resolution for capturing type submissions from e mail purchasers that supported it (only a few), we discovered that our purchasers constructed trackable hyperlinks that automated voting the place they may click on a easy hyperlink within the e mail to a vacation spot web page that counted one vote per subscriber.
Whereas none of those options had been on our product roadmap, once I questioned potential and present purchasers on whether or not they’d be useful, their eyes lit up. They had been all options that might differentiate us type our competitors, had been extremely fashionable with e mail entrepreneurs, and incorporating them within the core product would allow our prospects to get higher enterprise outcomes.
Buyer Innovation
Too many corporations rely upon inside assets for innovation. I’m not saying that corporations can’t create a tradition of innovation internally, I’d argue that true innovation occurs if you uncover what drives worth together with your prospects, prospects, and your competitors’s prospects.
And as a product supervisor, it’s essential to know that your position extends past listening to buyer suggestions about your present platform. To really create worth and drive success, it’s essential to dive deeper and acquire a complete understanding of how your prospects are using your product to construct worth for his or her organizations.
It’s straightforward to imagine that you already know every thing about your product and the way it must be used. Nevertheless, your prospects are sometimes simply as sensible and inventive as your individual crew. They bring about a wealth of various views, experiences, and problem-solving abilities to the desk. When 1000’s of purchasers use your software program, you will have entry to an unbelievable pool of expertise and innovation.
Your purchasers will inevitably discover distinctive and surprising methods to leverage your product to help their particular enterprise processes. They may push the boundaries, uncover workarounds, and establish areas for enchancment that you’ll have by no means thought-about. That is the place the magic occurs – when your prospects turn out to be integral to your product’s evolution.
Embracing this actuality requires a shift in mindset. As a substitute of being shocked or resistant when purchasers use your product in unconventional methods, embrace it as a possibility for progress and innovation. Open your ears and eyes to their suggestions, experiences, and inventive options. Use this precious enter to drive your product in new instructions, deal with unmet wants, and unlock its full potential.
Bear in mind, your shopper’s success is immediately tied to your success. You create a win-win state of affairs by empowering them to make the most of your product in ways in which greatest help their enterprise processes. You foster a tradition of collaboration, belief, and mutual progress, resulting in elevated buyer satisfaction, loyalty, and advocacy.
Key Takeaways
- Embrace the creativity and innovation of your prospects. They’re a precious supply of insights and concepts that may drive your product ahead.
- Actively search and hearken to buyer suggestions. Transcend surface-level listening and try to know how they’re using your product to construct worth for his or her organizations.
- Foster a tradition of collaboration and partnership together with your purchasers. Encourage open communication and be receptive to their distinctive views and options.
- Use buyer insights to tell product growth and enhancements. Enable their experiences to information your product roadmap and prioritize options that align with their wants.
- Have fun and showcase your prospects’ success tales. Spotlight how they’ve innovatively leveraged your product to realize their objectives. This validates your product’s worth and evokes different prospects to assume creatively.
By embracing the total potential of your prospects and empowering them to make the most of your product in ways in which greatest serve their wants, you unlock a world of potentialities for your enterprise. You create a virtuous cycle of innovation, progress, and success that advantages everybody concerned.
