Imagine this. You identify a market need, dedicate months to iterative research and development. You launch a product that genuinely excites customers. Sales skyrocket – a perfect moment to celebrate!
BUT
Soon after, problems begin to emerge. Misalignments in expectations surface during customer implementation and training. Usage falls short and unexpected issues and urgent feature requests start surfacing. The software isn’t fulfilling its promise. Churn and attrition loom.
Does this scenario sound familiar? Unfortunately, it is too common, and a costly mistake.
So, what happened? Was the research bad? Was it poorly executed? Did sales over promise? None of those?
Have you aligned the buyer and user personas? In other words, are the purchasers also the active users? If not, this disconnect could be the root of the issue. Let’s explore an edtech example, common across instructional and classroom applications:
When it comes to buying:
It’s often a committee that makes the buy recommendation, with a smaller leadership group or individual leader finalizing the decision. While the committee generally includes the perspectives of the users, they tend to be a disproportionately small voice in the larger purchase process turmoil.
When it comes to using:
In terms of usage, you will encounter these three personas:
- Administrators: The people that set it up, manage any configuration and permissions. They often become the go to person at the school/institution and are a kind first line support for the other users.
- Instructors/Teachers: Think of them as another type of administrator. They have to set things up, personalize them, and get them ready for their specific students and teaching context.
- Students: The ‘end-user’, they will consume content, perform activities, accomplish tasks, and ultimately achieve the desired outcomes.
Failing to align the needs and expectations of your buyers and users can lead to predictable problems down the line. The net effect – you’ll be relying on luck and hope – both of which are bad strategies.
Reminders!
- Remember, these personas represent just one scenario. Depending on your application and context, you may encounter a variety of other key stakeholders. These could include Parents, IT, HR, and L&D professional. It’s important to everyone’s success.
- Although we use an education example – this whole concept can be generalized and applied outside of education.
Why it happens:
In the era of short development cycles and fail fast mentality how is it even possible for this to happen? It comes down to two things:
- Inexperience: This is a common mistake made by new product managers or people new to a market and falls into the ‘I didn’t know what I didn’t know’ category.
- Short-term thinking: Don’t mix up the desire to act with urgency with a need to skip thoughtful planning. It is possible to think through long-term implications and still act with urgency.
Action to take:
Taking action to avoid this pitfall isn’t difficult; it requires understanding and sharing the broader context.
- Customer journey: Understand the full customer journey, from the time they first bump into your organization, through sales, implementation, active use, and ultimately into a delighted customer that advocates for you and your product.
- Align cross functionally: Make sure the broader organization understands the full and outcomes we are delivering to the customer as well as their unique contribution as part of that journey.
Think ahead, Succeed now.
Have questions? We can help!
Let’s Collaborate:
Based in New England but working with clients across the globe. I am dedicated to transforming visionary ideas into tangible, successful outcomes. Let’s connect and discuss how we can elevate your product management to new heights.
Contact Information:
Book a Meeting Time Connect on LinkedIn Learn more about us Read additional articles Send us an email
Let’s get to work!
