4 Roles That Disguise as Product Manager

You may think you have product managers, but what if they are actually performing a different function? It’s easy (and many times understandable) for this to happen, especially if your talent has shifted from a similar but different function into their current product management role. Now that they’re on a new path in product management, what has made them successful in the past may not necessarily make them as successful as they can be as a product manager. There are likely some product management skills gaps to overcome in order to deliver the best results for your organization.

That’s why I’m going to walk you through four roles that can look like product management, but aren’t. These functions share some traits with product management, but ultimately, won’t accomplish what the most effective, successful product managers are meant to. 

How can you make sure your product managers are fulfilling their potential? Understanding exactly what their responsibilities are is the first step. Is your product manager doing one of these roles instead? Check and see.

Is Your Product Manager Really a Project Manager? 

Let’s get into the details of product manager versus project manager. These two roles are often confused. They do share some traits, but ultimately serve different purposes. 

Project Manager Versus Product Manager

Project managers and product managers both have to be strong managers and collaborators, but they have different responsibilities within an organization. A project manager is responsible for:

• Planning, executing, and delivering a specific project within a given time frame and budget
• Overseeing the project's progress, ensuring that tasks are completed on time
• Managing risks and issues that arise during the project 
• Communicating with stakeholders

May sound like a product manager, right? However, the project manager is not responsible for value creation, both with customers and for the business, like a product manager is.

Product Management Skills They’ll Need
To transition into a product manager role, this individual will need to shift from a tactical role to a strategic thinker. They will need to learn the market and customers to influence product market fit, influence R&D and manage the product lifecycle.   

Is Your Product Manager Really a Product Expert?

A product expert and a product manager are both involved in the development of new products, yet they have different responsibilities.

Product Expert Versus Product Manager

A product expert is:

• Someone who has deep technical knowledge and expertise in a particular product or product category
• An expert on the features, functionality, and technical specifications of the product
• Involved in product development, testing and quality assurance. 
• Responsible for providing technical support and guidance to customers and internal teams 

The product expert is knowledgeable and can be a great resource, but they are not responsible for building a holistic strategy or optimizing the product portfolio for a market, like a product manager is.

Product Management Skills They’ll Need

To transition this person into a product manager, they’ll need to leverage their product expertise and knowledge of the market into creating a plan for new product development that will differentiate from competitors. They will also need to learn how to identify gaps with managing the product portfolio in the product lifecycle by working closely with marketing and enabling the sales channel.

Is Your Product Manager Really Responsible for Product Sales?

While product sales staff and product managers are both focused on driving revenue and growth for a company, these are different roles.

Product Sales Versus Product Management

Product sales professionals are focused on selling a company's products to customers. This can involve:

• Making sales pitches
• Customizing products for customers
• Managing ongoing relationships with customers

The success of the product sales team is measured by short term revenue, whereas, it’s not responsible for creating long term value.

Product Management Skills They’ll Need

To transition a sales role into a product management role, this professional will need to leverage their knowledge of the customer buying process to create a scalable marketing strategy. In addition, they will need to share their knowledge of the market and channels with decision makers to inform and recommend a differentiated strategy. 

Is Your Product Manager Really a Product Marketer?

While product marketers and product managers are both focused on communicating the value to customers, they have different roles within the organization. Here’s the difference. 

Product Marketer Versus Product Manager

Product marketers are responsible for:

• Brand management and creating marketing plans. 
• Leading the development and execution of marketing campaigns through marketing channels that generate leads for the sales team. This may involve email campaigns, social media posts that build awareness to targeted customers.
• Focusing on product communication and executing the marketing systems to create leads. 
• Planning for trade shows and other events.

Product Marketers may already be helping with product and market strategy and managing the communication for the product portfolio. To transition this person to a product manager role, they will need to help focus on guiding the company with product development to grow the business. 

What is Really the Focus of a Product Manager?

Product management is the process of overseeing all aspects of a product and market strategy, with a priority on product development and lifecycle management. It’s a cross-function discipline that marries skills and facilitates communication across silos. Product managers:

• Work closely on creating business cases that maximize revenue creation for the portfolio. 
• Focus engineering on developing the right product that meets the needs of the market.
• Work with marketing and the sales channel to create awareness and communicate the value of the product beyond the features and specifications. 

Here’s more detail on what makes a product manager, a product manager, but ultimately, successful and effective product managers are closely connected with business and financial performance while focusing the organization on strategic opportunities to be the market leader. 

Looking for more insight to align your product management team for success? From consulting to product manager training, here are some ways I can help.

Posted in Start Product Management  | Tagged Management, Skills, Professional Development

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