280 Insider Newsletter
September 2004
- The 280 Insider
- Product Manager's Toolkit
- Google AdWords Strategies Part 2
- NorCalBMA Presentation: Product Reviews
- How to Become a Great Product Manager
The 280 Insider
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Dear 280 Group Subscriber,
This issue of the 280 Insider includes the second part of an article about how to run an effective Google AdWords campaign and an article by Alyssa Dver about how to become a great Product Manager through a new AIPMM certification program. Plus I'll be doing a presentation on "How To Get Phenomenal Product Reviews" at the NorCalBMA that you are invited to attend.
Hope you are all having a GREAT September!
Have an idea for an article you'd like to contribute or a hot company we should cover? Contact us.
Brian Lawley
President
280 Group LLC
Product Manager's Toolkit
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If you haven't checked it out yet, take a look at the Product Manager's toolkit that we launched last month. Here are just a few of the endorsements we've received:
"I have one word for Brian Lawley's 280 Group Toolkit; Fantastic. These are extremely useful, well designed and come with great example data. Every product manager should purchase a set.”
Therese Padilla
Founder, Executive Director AIPMM
(Association of International Product Marketing & Management
"The 280 Group has put together a collection of outlines, templates
and general best practices documents that are exactly what Product Managers
need. It is easily worth three times the price!"
Jim Reekes
Former VP of Products, Meeting Maker Inc.
"The 280 Group Product Manager's Toolkit is a great collection
of tools and templates that can help both experienced and new Product
Managers be more productive and effective."
Alyssa Dver, CPM/CPMM
VP & Chief Marketing Officer,SEDONA Corporation
Author, Software Product Management Essentials
Click
here to find out more about the Product Manager's Toolkit...
Google AdWords Strategies Part 2
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Last month we covered the basics of Google AdWords: what it is, how it works and a few tips on optimizing a campaign with it. If you missed it you can go to www.280group.com/newsletters.htm to find the archived issue or follow the link below to read up on it.
NOTE: the entire 4 part series on Google AdWords Strategies is now available in a book from the 280 Group titled "Google AdWords Strategies & Tips: Powerful ideas to help minimize costs and maximize web trafffic." Click here for full details on how to optimize your AdWords campaign!
NorCalBMA Presentation: Phenomenal Product Reviews
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Brian Lawley be speaking at the Northern California BMA (Business Marketing Association) Product Marketing Roundtable next Tuesday the 21st at 7:30 a.m. at Scott's in Town & Country Village in Palo Alto. The topic will be "How To Get Phenomenal Product Reviews".
Come join in the discussion if you get the chance...
Details about the event can be found here...
How to Become a Great Product Manager
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New Professional Certification for Product Management & Product Marketing Managers
Consider this: Anyone can manage a multi-million dollar product line, but unless you have been recently certified, you can’t give someone a $10 manicure. Isn’t it rather bizarre that nail techs require certification and Product Managers don’t?
How Do Product Managers Learn Their Trade?
It seems ridiculous but in reality, most Product Managers get their knowledge via “on the job training”. Up until recently, there has been little formal education available to help teach Product Managers how to do their jobs effectively and efficiently. While there are professional associations such as the various Product Managers’ Associations (PMA’s) or national and local Product Development and Management Associations (PDMA’s), these groups offer mostly informal training based on group-desired topics. Product Managers can find programs offered by private companies providing scheduled and on-site training programs.
These organizations offer group and/or on-site training classes on a number of topics including an overview of product management, pricing strategy and implementation, effective communication skills, and product requirements management. Newsletters from numerous consultants and associations offer tidbits of product management knowledge while discussion groups usually found on association websites can offer peer-to-peer Q & A.
More academically, a number of books are also available to help the Product Manager. Some of the books provide a general product management overview while others focus on specific areas (e.g. product life cycle management, pricing, etc.) or types of product management (e.g. software, consumer goods, etc.). Now, even some universities offer classes or entire curricula to help teach product management such as the University of Colorado, Bentley College, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business, and The University of Washington.
The New Standard: AIPMM’s CPM and CPMM Certification
With the void of educational materials being filled
recently, the next natural step was to establish a set of standards that
ensure a rudimentary level of product management knowledge. The Association
of Product Management and Marketing Managers (AIPMM) has developed a
certification program to do just that. Though less than a year old,
the AIPMM program has received tremendous success in setting the bar for
a minimum knowledge base for Product Managers to master. The certification
includes a 1 ½ day Educational Workshop, suggested reading materials,
and a 2 hour test. There are tests for both Product Managers and for Product
Marketing Managers. Candidates must achieve at least 74% on the test to
receive their certification as a Certified Product Manager™ (CPM)
or Certified Product Marketing Manager™ (CPMM).
The CPM and CPMM credential granted by the AIPMM crosses industry barriers as they focus on strategies and skills considered to be best practices throughout a variety of disciplines. The program outlines core thinking and skill sets, which can be applied to any product at any time within the product life cycle.
The program ensures that individuals:
- Demonstrate a thorough understanding of not only the theory, but also the practice of product management and product marketing management including the underlying concepts, principles and terminology used.
- Evaluate, then implement all aspects of the product management and product marketing management strategy, spanning:
* New product development through to product elimination
* Start-up companies to established organizations
AIPMM President, Therese Padilla commented, “With
a complete product management and product marketing skill set, a PM or
a PMM should be able to manage any product in any type of company. It
is usually easier to teach someone a new product than it is how to manage
it.
The AIPMM certification ensures that there is a solid base of skills that
a PM or PMM has available to apply to their jobs today and in the future.”
AIPMM Certification Workshops and Tests are given on
a regular basis in various locations. Check on the AIPMM site
(http://www.aipmm.com) for more information.
What Does the Certification ‘Buy’?
A recently certified Product Manager expressed, “The certification is a rite of passage and while not yet recognized as a job requirement, it certainly helps to confirm one’s own abilities as a Product Manager.”
According to Holly Hansen, a certified Product Manager, “There is definitely a sense of pride in knowing that I proved to myself and others I know the best practices for Product Management. In addition, recruiters have said it makes my resume stand out from the rest”.
With a CPM or CPMM on your business card and resume,
not everyone will recognize the certification but often, it will trigger
a good question about it. For those who have endured the preparation and
test, the certification does equate to a third party validation of
their product management or marketing knowledge and abilities. The
certification also contributes personal confidence and a sense of achievement
that is critical to the success of any Product Manager.
Who Needs Certification?
As the author of a product management book, I can personally testify that
most Product Managers, including myself, often question their knowledge
and abilities regarding best practices. I took the certification test
to ensure that I was fully aware of industry norms and expectations. As
I continue to hire and train Product Managers, I do believe that the AIPMM
program validates a PM’s abilities – something that I often
only know after someone is hired.
The certification is like an insurance policy for both company and PM.
It takes away a lot of the risk in hiring for such a critical position.
While many Product Managers continue to “fly by
the seat of their pants”, others realize that there are better ways
to ensure that they are competent and recognized for their knowledge and
ability.
The AIPMM certification is an excellent way to achieve this and more and
more Product Managers, both experienced and new, are preparing for this
challenging, but fulfilling experience. Over time we can expect that the
CPM and CPMM credentials will be as commonly regarded in stature similar
to CPA, CFP, ISO, and other industry-specific acronyms. Joining the ranks
of critical professions such as builders, inspectors, and computer specialists,
gaining an AIPMM certification is a worthwhile investment. So to borrow
from one of the most successful product lines ever, “Just Do It”.
About the author: Alyssa Dver CPM, CPMM is author of “Software Product
Management Essentials: a hands-on guide for small and midsize businesses”.
Dver is also CMO for CRM software provider SEDONA Corporation and CEO
of Wander Wear Inc., a company specializing in products to help keep children
safe in crowds. She is a special section writer for BusinessWeek and is
often published and quoted in various industry publications. She is a
frequently requested speaker and consultant on topics including product
management, child safety, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) and The
Real Time Enterprise (RTE). Contact Alyssa at alyssadver@comcast.net.
Details on the AIPMM website...
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