Comments on: Let’s Go Visit The Customer, Product Manager… http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/customer/lets-go-visit-the-customer-product-manager Home Of The Billion Dollar Product Manager Where You Too Can Learn To Be A Wildly Successful Product Manger Fri, 03 Feb 2012 05:14:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gopal Shenoy http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/customer/lets-go-visit-the-customer-product-manager/comment-page-1#comment-718 Gopal Shenoy Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:18:39 +0000 http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/?p=128#comment-718 I learnt this technique from one of my colleagues - he used to write in my big bold letters "DON'T TALK" at the top of his notepad so that he would see it often as a reminder to himself to listen more and talk less. I also have developed this habit of putting my right index finger with a fisted hand on my mouth so that I have less tendency to talk and interrupt the customer. I have found that both of these work well at least for me. I learnt this technique from one of my colleagues – he used to write in my big bold letters “DON’T TALK” at the top of his notepad so that he would see it often as a reminder to himself to listen more and talk less.

I also have developed this habit of putting my right index finger with a fisted hand on my mouth so that I have less tendency to talk and interrupt the customer. I have found that both of these work well at least for me.

]]> By: Dr. Jim Anderson http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/customer/lets-go-visit-the-customer-product-manager/comment-page-1#comment-717 Dr. Jim Anderson Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:41:38 +0000 http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/?p=128#comment-717 Mike: I like your technique. Oh, and yes it is REALLY hard to shut your mouth more and let the customer do the talking! Mike: I like your technique. Oh, and yes it is REALLY hard to shut your mouth more and let the customer do the talking!

]]> By: Mike Darnell http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/customer/lets-go-visit-the-customer-product-manager/comment-page-1#comment-710 Mike Darnell Thu, 09 Jul 2009 06:40:07 +0000 http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/?p=128#comment-710 Great post! I too was particularly fond of the sensible advice regarding to listening and the "eye-opening" regarding the fact that we are far from being the only people on our clients' agenda. It all boils down to this The less you talk, the more you listen. The more you listen, the better the quality of the intel you're bound to collect, and intel is valuable stuff... Personally I run tabs in my head during meetings - "How much have I learned? How much have I given away in return? Am I ahead?" Mike I tweet @pop_art Great post!
I too was particularly fond of the sensible advice regarding to listening and the “eye-opening” regarding the fact that we are far from being the only people on our clients’ agenda.

It all boils down to this
The less you talk, the more you listen.
The more you listen, the better the quality of the intel you’re bound to collect, and intel is valuable stuff…
Personally I run tabs in my head during meetings – “How much have I learned? How much have I given away in return? Am I ahead?”

Mike
I tweet @pop_art

]]> By: Gopal Shenoy http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/customer/lets-go-visit-the-customer-product-manager/comment-page-1#comment-702 Gopal Shenoy Wed, 24 Jun 2009 10:26:24 +0000 http://www.theaccidentalpm.com/?p=128#comment-702 Jim, You raise great points here - especially the one about "do less talking and more listening". I also recommend sending the 10 questions you have to the customer before hand so that they have some time to think and prepare. I have written seven tips on listening to the voice of the customer on my blog (http://productmanagementtips.com) that you may find helpful. I have provided the links below. Tip #1 – Start with softball questions (http://budurl.com/voicetip1) Tip#2 – Role of Explorer (http://budurl.com/voicetip2) Tip #3 – Five Why’s (http://budurl.com/voicetip3) Tip #4 – Practice active listening (http://budurl.com/voicetip4) Tip #5 - Hear the “user vocabulary” (http://budurl.com/voicetip5) Tip#6 - Don’t listen to the same voice (http://budurl.com/voicetip6) Tip#7 - Tackling the language barrier (http://budurl.com/voicetip7) Jim,
You raise great points here – especially the one about “do less talking and more listening”. I also recommend sending the 10 questions you have to the customer before hand so that they have some time to think and prepare.

I have written seven tips on listening to the voice of the customer on my blog (http://productmanagementtips.com) that you may find helpful. I have provided the links below.
Tip #1 – Start with softball questions (http://budurl.com/voicetip1)
Tip#2 – Role of Explorer (http://budurl.com/voicetip2)
Tip #3 – Five Why’s (http://budurl.com/voicetip3)
Tip #4 – Practice active listening (http://budurl.com/voicetip4)
Tip #5 – Hear the “user vocabulary” (http://budurl.com/voicetip5)
Tip#6 – Don’t listen to the same voice (http://budurl.com/voicetip6)
Tip#7 – Tackling the language barrier (http://budurl.com/voicetip7)

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