Specializing in Product Management, Product Marketing, and Strategy
Using Hard Times to Your Advantage
These aren't easy times. Downturns never are. You have probably had to reduce staff, cut expenses, and pull back on business operations. That usually creates a whole set of problems.
Some of those problems involve products, and that's where we can help. Are you facing any of these problems?
- Products in development losing focus due to a lack of attention
- Products coming to market without clear plans for marketing, sales, distribution, and support
- Legacy products needing to be End-Of-Lifed, but no one to drive the process
Sometimes remaining staff can cover the shortfall, but they are usually over-burdened. So opportunities to focus your resources, increase your market reach, and rationalize your operations can languish.
Opportunity
But troubled times also provide opportunities. This is the time to pare back, get rid of products, processes, and channels that don't work any more. It's tempting to ignore these issues, but now is actually the best time to address them. You can use this time to make your company the lean, fast-moving competitor you'll want it to be when we emerge from this period and the economy improves.
"Don't Kill My Baby!"
One of the problems, of course, is that there will be people in the company who have a sense of "ownership" of the products and processes that are holding the company back. Even if they recognize the need to trim that aspect of the business, they are not going to be enthusiastic about getting rid of their "baby." It's just human nature, and usually not a good idea to ask people to work against their nature. Keep your staff focused on the things they're going to carry forward when times change.
An Outsider Can Do It
In these matters, it makes good sense to bring in an outsider. You need someone who can come in, get the job done quickly and efficiently, take the blame for any hurt feelings, then disappear. No matter how necessary the work is, and no matter how much better off the company is after the changes have been made, the person identified with the changes is unlikely to be loved. Don't let that be you or your staff - let it be someone else.
Do It Fast and Easy - Bring In Experience
It can be tempting to push unpleasant tasks to the junior members of staff. However, you want someone with experience and enthusiasm to get this done quickly and correctly. Creating products and processes is a skill that's critical to business, and one you want to nurture in your staff. Cutting back is an occasional skill, and you don't want to invest in that expertise for your staff. Bring in someone who has been through this, knows the ropes, and can get the job done.
Get in touch with us today.
