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    Product Manager Imperatives

    Make this course a turning point of your career

    You’re a product manager, but never really learned much about the job. Where do you start? 

    Learn about the roles, expectations, and essential tools of product management during this two-day course on product management. You’ll obtain a concrete framework of the upstream and downstream processes and responsibilities of product managers, as well as learn the foundation skills required for success. The course provides a sense of “discipline” to the job by highlighting strategic tools and thought processes, as well as tips for overcoming common product management pitfalls. It will help you forge a strategic product vision, define product lifecycle strategy choices, and explore the need for sunsetting (retiring) select products.

    You will also explore influence and leadership approaches for gaining interdepartmental cooperation, and managing the new product development process. And you will learn how to improve the relationship between product management and the sales function to increase the probability of successfully implementing product plans.

    This course will teach you how to:

    Define product portfolios

    A product manager’s umbrella product portfolio often comprises sub-portfolios of R&D concepts, new offerings, and existing products. Learn why that mental model is so important.

    Conquer common product management traps

    Improve your ability to avoid common pitfalls such as tunnel vision, indistinct segmentation, sketchy positioning, fuzzy finance, influence roadblocks, and fire-fighting.

    Rethink the customer value proposition of your products

    A great idea isn’t enough. Truly successful new (and existing) products must create a unique customer experience (think customer experience management + voice of the customer), be a good financial and strategic fit for your company (your product strategy objectives should contribute to your product strategy summary), and come to market in a timely way with marketing, sales, and channel support.

    Gain inter-departmental cooperation

    Learn the requirements, guidelines, and keys to establishing the appropriate collaborative environment required by product managers who, by definition, must accomplish their goals through others.

    Manage product plan implementation

    Find out how to strengthen the effectiveness of the interface between product management and sales.

    Who should attend?

    Most of our attendees have substantial business experience, often in the areas of sales, operations, a technical field, or marketing. Concepts and content are applicable across companies and industries. The course is especially valuable for:

    • Product managers
    • Brand managers
    • Marketing directors/vice presidents
    • Directors of product management

    Day 1: Career Essentials and Downstream Product Management

    The product manager’s role has become increasingly complex and varied. We’ll start our session with a big-picture understanding of typical responsibilities, as well as effective ways to analyze your current product and service offerings.

    Careers and tools of product managers

    • The product manager continuum: from upstream to downstream
    • Essential frameworks for defining roles
    • Overcoming the most common hazards and blunders

    Managing the product/service lifecycle

    • Reinforce core products and brands
    • Renew underperforming offerings
    • Resurrect and re-launch selected items
    • Rationalize and retire underperforming products

    Day 2: Upstream Product Management and Influencing Skills

    During our second day, we’ll continue our holistic approach to product management with a discussion of the new product development process, the importance of strategy, and how to successfully integrate customers, co-workers, and sales in your efforts.

    New product responsibilities

    • Learn the 3C Framework: Concept, Create, Commercialize
    • Monitor the development process and plan the launch

    Improve collaboration and influence

    • Learn to manage yourself and others more effectively
    • Establish a blueprint for gaining interdepartmental cooperation

    Working with field sales

    • Identify what sales and product managers need from each other
    • Explore the major pitfalls of new product training
    • Assure appropriate follow-up service

    Paul Baumgart

    Paul is currently director of international distribution for TomoTherapy Incorporated, a Madison-based global healthcare company that manufactures and markets advanced radiation treatment solutions for radiation oncology. In this role, he is responsible for building a global sales and distribution network to bring TomoTherapy’s revolutionary cancer treatment system to hospitals and treatment centers around the world. Previously, Baumgart served as general manager of respiratory care for the Clinical Systems division of GE Healthcare, a global leader in providing medical devices and clinical information solutions for healthcare facilities. Baumgartl’s extensive experience includes leading teams of engineers and product and marketing managers in both commercial and product development aspects of marketing. In addition, he has participated in the development of the company’s global marketing and business plans, long-term product roadmaps, and business development activities. Having had the opportunity to view the marketing function from a variety of perspectives, he brings a practical understanding of the application of general marketing principles and concepts.

    Greg Dicillo

    Linda Gorchels

    As part of the Executive Education faculty for the Wisconsin School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Linda Gorchels is responsible for the financial performance of and long-term strategy for the marketing program. She had previous strategy responsibility in the insurance, publishing, and robotics industries, and has provided strategy consulting or training to such organizations as Trane Commercial Systems, Kerry Group, University of Wisconsin-Extension and CUNA Service Group. Gorchels has been published in the Journal of International Marketing, the Academy of Marketing Studies Journal, the Journal of Contemporary Business Issues, and Industrial Marketing Management. She is co-author of The Manager’s Guide to Distribution Channels, and is author of The Product Manager’s Handbook and The Product Manager’s Field Guide.

    Chuck West

    Chuck West is the program director of Sales, Sales Management, and Advanced Management programs for the Wisconsin School of Business Executive Education. Prior to joining the university faculty, West was a frequent guest lecturer and member of the school’s ad hoc faculty. He was honored for 20 years of “Outstanding Contribution in Management Development” by the university and holds the top rating on the national speakers lists of the American Marketing Association.