Listen carefully the next time “product” comes up in communication.
In the manufacturing realm it’s easy to point to the product being made as it comes off the line. In a software-oriented company, the product concept is commonly extended to computer code. Service-focused organizations are a bit trickier, but there is usually something that could be considered a product – a tax return, a better hairstyle, a favorable ruling, and so on.
Whether a product, software package, or service, we can categorize these as “offerings.” A company “offers” something for sale and willing customers purchase it.
Enter the famous quote “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole!”
It’s not the product, software, or service that people value per se, but the outcomes that result from buying the offering. In all cases we are ultimately buying an outcome – the problem goes away or life becomes easier, cheaper, or more fulfilling. There is a positive feeling – perhaps relief or joy – as a result.
When thought of holistically from the customer’s point of view, putting one person or function in charge of “product” is limiting. Product engineers don’t create the messaging that attracts buyers. Operations doesn’t manufacture the helpful voice on the other end of the line. Customer service doesn’t make the product arrive on time. Everyone is needed to make the product valuable.
Make sure the team knows: