To complicate, describe the work of the product manager is quite appropriate

Often listen to the product manager to say that they are mixed, although this statement has the meaning of self-ridicule, but the term used to describe the product manager's job is quite appropriate. The role of product manager in a company determines what he wants to do more and more complex, in the birth of a product from the idea of ​​birth, product planning, UI design, front-end production, program development, and then test the line, On-line product optimization, product staff, on the one hand to the whole body to participate, on the other hand have to follow up. Product managers are responsible for driving the realization of a company idea, so product managers in one company always have to deal with many departments, and communication skills are very important to a product manager.

1) communicate with the demand side;

In the company, the needs of the product department may come from two sides, one is from the Idea inside the product, the other is from the business department. The former has the advantage of being able to give full play to the idea of ​​the product staff, but the risk of the product is relatively high. The latter has the advantage of having a relatively clear requirement and the product staff only needs to provide a solution. The disadvantage is that the communication cost is relatively high, Personnel own ideas to play will have limitations. And as for the specific business unit which refers to the product operation and company leadership may also be from the market or business, etc., which is determined by the nature of the company or business. Take my personal experience as an example. I often deal with both parties in the company, one comes from the product operation and the other from the business unit, such as customer service, finance and marketing department. Demand for product operators can be roughly divided into two categories, one is to explicitly put forward some new features, the second is to feed back user needs. So the description of the demand may be their own difficulties encountered in the work, hoping to improve work efficiency through the development of products, it may be to re-describe the needs of users. Whether the former or the latter, you need to take the initiative to analyze the product staff. For the latter - the user's needs, need to find ways to meet demand, but this time is also divided into two cases, if not meet the needs of users to measure the need to develop new products to meet, if the existing products to meet that To find the defects of existing products, and then optimize and improve.

For the former, the reason why the operators make demands is that they usually encounter relatively big troubles at work. In the process of making demands to the product staff, the operator will explain his own problems encountered in the work, but the specific solution depends on the product staff. I have done EDM system, one of the details gave me a deep impression, the operators describe their needs is very complicated, and I described the whole process of their mail marketing, in fact, they only need to query Do yourself a mail marketing time need to take a look at the time with other products whether there is a collision period. Differences in the functions of the Internet industry, the very important point is derived from the individual differences in thinking.

Personally, I personally communicate with the demand side to sum up a principle that is: listen to him, but do not go with him. Listen to him - to listen to the needs of operators, after all, the ultimate goal of the product is to meet their needs. Not to go with him - although to meet the needs of operators, but product staff should not be led by the nose. And the product staff and the demand staff in the process of cooperation play their respective roles, the demand staff is responsible for the function and content can be met, and product staff need to decide the contents of the layout and function to meet the way. However, when the design of the product staff and the assumptions of the demand side are different, most of them still want the product side to make concessions.

For different needs, our product design will also have an impact. The demand of operators is also largely used internally by the company and belongs to the management backstage. The purpose is to make the work of colleagues in other departments more efficient and convenient. In the product design, we have a principle that is the first after the gifted, so in line with the priority on-line, shortening the cost of development, and because it is managing the background, so the interaction of products and aesthetic requirements will be relatively lower. If the product operations staff, then, because of the strong sense of the Internet, so no matter for some concepts or functions are more familiar with the use of. Relatively speaking, however, the market and customer service departments will have higher requirements for the ease of use of the backend and you will feel that the cost of communicating with them will be even higher.

In the course of work, if the business unit cooperates with the product department, both parties can actively cooperate to make the process of product promotion smoother. On the contrary, you need more proactive product staff and a sense of responsibility.

2) communicate with the designer;

After the completion of the prototype product will be handed over to the next designer, the final decision of a product is also in the hands of designers. Aesthetic is the first impression to the user, if the beauty of the product is not good enough, then the product to the user's impression will be discounted. In fact, when doing product prototype, many companies will require high-fidelity prototype, high-fidelity prototype to judge from two angles, the first prototype interface to do is very realistic, the prototype has been added color elements, so Practices will make the demand side easier to understand the product. The second is the prototype of the interaction, the prototype to join a better interaction, will make the prototype more realistic, one to help better express the idea of ​​product staff, the second is also easy to follow the use of prototype user testing. But at work I will find that adding too many color elements to the prototype can be a nuisance to the designer. In the case of a designer, the product is the demand side, so the designer may assume that the color elements in the prototype are the product's favorite and will be used in the design of the product. Moreover, Internet companies often have such a scene, because the product hurry on the line and the time card is very tight, this time designers often because time is tight and difficult to produce good ideas, designed pages will inevitably not too ideal. So I always try my best to give designers more time in product scheduling. But then again, as I said earlier, but also because of the designer, competent or experienced designers or will fully play their talents.

When it comes to design reviews, my personal principle has always been to respect the designer's ideas. Before the design must be detailed with the designer to do product introduction, explain the product function points and text, as well as hidden behind the product or the meaning of expression. Although the UI designer is responsible for the beautification of the interface, but also behind the beautification of its thinking, and such communication, but also easy to avoid the designer designed pages and expectation have a greater discrepancy. Product staff for the design of the UI will have some of their own ideas, before the design can communicate with the designer, but personally, I have never wanted too many product staff impose their own ideas to the designer, or even to the page Somewhere in the painting what pattern, although this may be designed to be more in line with expectations, but for a long time this practice will bind the designer, but also may cause the designer's disgust. So you can let designers play freely, after all, designers are professional, their ideas may exceed the product staff. The product staff in the design of the designer after a few versions are still not satisfied with the circumstances of the designer to communicate their ideas in detail.

3) communicate with the developer;

Sometimes during the interview, the interviewer always asks the product manager a question, and when the product submits the requirement for development, the developer rejects the lack of time as a reason to refuse what to do. This is definitely the new demand and development of the product Project hand on the collision, and the solution is simple, is based on the needs of the priority to adjust the development schedule. Every company has its own standards when it comes to recruit people, seeking people with the same values, so I always believe developers will not find reason to delay. However, in the course of work when the product staff to mention the needs of other departments or communicate confirmation does not rule out the other colleagues did not respond in a timely manner, in order to ensure that the project on-line in order to fight for resources, this time will require more active product staff, so Product staff sometimes need a little thicker skin.

In summary, the process of communication with developers, product staff to do the work has three main points: First, with developers to explain product demand; second, how to convince developers to convince the product's staff idea; the third point Is to follow up the development, to avoid the development of the product does not match expectations. I never felt that the first difficulty, the difficulty lies in the second and third points. After the prototype design is completed, the product will organize developers to meet with the product to explain, this time will always face a problem is how to convince the development of colleagues. Because everyone is thoughtful, developers are always going to come up with their own ideas after seeing a product plan, so the product needs to be persuaded to draw on the art as it is when developing the product. After the success of the product on the line a bright future, this will lead to the developer's enthusiasm. Personal summary of the work, that is, you can chat with the developer usually to enhance understanding, and more developers on the regular observation of which sites. In the process of communication to convince them, you can take their regular website for example, so that they are more familiar with the product, of course, a better understanding. As for the third point, project follow-up, which requires great responsibility and enthusiasm of product staff. After a project is finalized, the company usually lists the participants as a team. Product requirements document is the basis for the development of developers, but even if the document and then detailed, in the development process will inevitably need to face to face communication. Product staff need to follow the development schedule to follow the progress of development, acceptance of product features and product expectations are consistent. The work of this process product staff tend to be more cumbersome, will be more busy, but also great exercise product communication skills.

When submitting a product Whether it is for the design or development department to set the schedule, you will find that they will set the time is sufficient. Maybe you will therefore have other colleagues on the view, but in fact it is like this at work, everyone is not too nervous for their own schedule, and we have to consider the possible risk factors in the process, such as leave Happening. Of course, is not to let developers as soon as possible, so it is best to product staff based on the online time and developers set a time node, so that developers can be completed before that time.

Communication is an art activity, the same meaning of the same sentence, different people, different contexts, different tone may be different effect. Each person to deal with things in different ways, a long time, we will work in a set of suits for their own communication methods. And communication is just a process, good communication is to produce good results.