Preparation: Get informed!

Before you start your new job, you should check the company’s external website, Wikipedia entry and press releases. Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of your boss and the company and visit the websites of competitors. These preparations will give you an overview of the environment in which you will be working and help you to gather important information that you can use later.

The first day:
“Hand-shake” with stakeholders

On your first day, it is important to listen rather than speak. Meet as many people as possible and remember to approach people in a friendly and open manner. Use the conversations to find out what is expected of you.

Welcome important stakeholders and plan subsequent meetings. Once you have set up your basic tools such as computer, telephone, email and intranet, actively plan meetings for the coming weeks. This preparation will help you to be up and running quickly and make a good first impression.

The first week:
Laying the groundwork

Establish internal networks and resources

In the first week, make sure you are on the right internal distribution lists and have access to all data sources relevant to your portfolio (ERP, CRM, controlling dashboards, R&D roadmaps, customer feedback database…etc). Ask colleagues for external sources of information, such as market reports, analyses and key customers.

Active stakeholder management

Identify key internal meetings and the “power brokers” in the organisation – the key stakeholders you need to influence. Make sure you get on the list of participants for these meetings. Schedule regular alignment meetings with your boss and colleagues to make sure you are on the right track. For all meetings in the first few weeks, you should signal: “I’m here to listen and understand!” Ask lots of questions and use your “puppy protection” of the first few weeks to get as much information as possible.

First steps to product knowledge

It is crucial for your success as a product manager that you are able to fulfil your role as a product market expert as quickly as possible. An effective way to deepen your product knowledge in the first week is to attend product demos from different teams such as Sales and Development to understand the different perspectives and features of the product. In addition, study all available product documentation.

The first month:
Gaining expertise

Entry into the role of product market expert

In the first few weeks, work continuously on deepening your product-market knowledge and try to take part in training courses that are relevant to you and interact directly with customers to better understand their user experiences and needs and incorporate them into product development. Actively plan these training sessions into your diary. If you have time, an initial visit to a trade fair in the first few weeks would be ideal to familiarise yourself with your market.

In addition to product knowledge, it is also important that you understand the value creation process of your customers. This means being aware of how your customers use your product to achieve their own goals and create added value. Talk to your customers and try to recognise which steps in their work process are most important and how your product can support this process.

Another key element is understanding your customers’ procurement process. Find out how customers acquire your product, which internal authorisations are required and who the key players in the purchasing process are. This can range from the initial contact to negotiations and the final purchase contract. Talk to the sales team and existing customers to get a clear picture of this process.

Knowing which criteria are decisive for your customers is essential. These can range from price and quality to delivery times, after-sales service and technical support. Identify these criteria through customer surveys, feedback interviews and competitor analyses. Understand which factors have the strongest influence on purchasing decisions and how your product performs in these areas. Use these insights to optimise your product and your sales strategy in a targeted manner.

Understand the “pronounced” corporate strategy and objectives.

First key findings & feedback

Focus your work on understanding how things really work in your company. To scrutinise the insights you have already gathered about your products, structures and processes, it is advisable to regularly gather feedback from stakeholders. This step is crucial to gain a broader perspective and ensure that your future proposals and decisions are based on sound insights.

After three months:
take the wheel

Set priorities, improve processes and apply PM methodology

By the end of the first quarter, you should have worked out how you can prioritise your time and improve the most important processes. Your own PM development roadmap will help you to prioritise the most important initiatives and milestones.

By now at the latest, you should have started to draw up an initial product business plan. This plan summarises the information you have already gathered from the market analysis in a structured way, defines the strategic goals for your product, describes the market positioning and outlines the planned measures to achieve the defined goals. By starting the business plan early, you set a clear direction for your product and ensure that all team members and stakeholders are working towards the same goal. The plan not only serves as a guide for product development, but also as a tool for communication and coordination within the company.

Communicate interim results

Regular communication of interim goals is crucial to your success and a key aspect of product business planning. If you clearly communicate the content you have developed in between, all key stakeholders are on the same page and can track progress better. This not only promotes transparency, but also strengthens their commitment and motivation as they understand the importance of your role in the overall project.

The use of selected tools from the product business plan to visualise interim goals is particularly helpful in presenting complex information in an understandable way. A Gantt chart, a roadmap or visualisations such as the BCG or Price-Performance Matrix help you to clearly visualise the schedule, milestones and dependencies.

By regularly communicating interim goals and using appropriate visualisation tools, you ensure that your product management remains effective and efficient. It promotes team collaboration, improves transparency and helps you stay focussed and motivated to achieve the long-term goals for your product.

Deepen customer and market expertise

Make sure that you continuously work on deepening your product-market knowledge. Spend at least 20% of your working time on strategic work. Become the customer advocate in the company and the indispensable expert with a clear vision for the product.

Generate visible output and added value

After three months at the latest, you should have generated an initial visible output for sales – your No. 1 customer in the company. It is essential that you noticeably increase your visibility in sales. You will certainly not have managed to develop a completely new sales package yet, but perhaps you will be able to provide them with something new, a tool that you have specially developed. Examples of possible output could include benefit arguments, a catalogue of questions (FAQ), competitive comparisons, a specific case study, demo scripts or specific sales presentations tailored to the needs of different customer groups.

It is important that you position yourself as a reliable partner to the sales team. This will ensure that your products are sold effectively. You will receive valuable first-hand feedback on customer needs and market reactions, which will help you to continuously improve and adapt your product. Close collaboration also enables you to empower sales staff to successfully present your product and convince potential customers. In this way, you actively contribute to sales growth and strengthen the bond between product development and sales.

FAZIT

A successful start in your new job as a product manager depends on your ability to learn quickly, communicate effectively and act strategically. Follow these steps to ensure you make the most of your first 90 days and are ready to lead your product and team to success. Good luck on your rafting trip!