As a B2B Product Manager, you know that talking to users is the key to building successful products. But you are probably tired of useless B2C advice, like “Just park your team at a Starbucks and show them your app.”
Whether you are building Enterprise Software or IoT solutions, if you are in B2B, you are trying to reach very specialized people. And every second they spend with you, it’s a second they are not tending to their business. Not to mention the challenges of getting around Sales not wanting you to “talk to their customers.”
So, how do you do it?
The answer is to create a network of people from your target market willing and excited to engage with your team to provide feedback and insights into their challenges and day-to-day operations. I call this your “Discovery Network.”
Like any professional network, building a Discovery Network takes time, thoughtful curation, and nurturing. The people in your network are not only there to provide insights.
From their perspective, they are part of your network because they are getting value from you. And thanks to the reciprocity principle, they are willing to help you in return.
I want to share the recording of a talk I recently gave at ProductCamp Austin on how to build a Discovery Network to access the elusive B2B customer.
In this talk, I share proven techniques included in my book, The B2B Innovator’s Map, to find and engage with the right people. Plus, I also share essential advice for working with Sales and winning their trust. This is a session that no B2B PM should miss!
The Bottom Line
Getting insights from your target customers is the key to accelerating innovation and reducing waste. Start building your Discovery Network today. Remember, it will take time and effort, but if you start now, then you’ll have many potential customers to talk to when you need them.