Resources > Articles

How do I set up customer interviews?

Author
  • Steve Johnson

    Steve Johnson was a founding instructor at Pragmatic Institute, a role he held for more than 15 years before he left to start Under10 Playbook. In his return to Pragmatic Institute, Steve supports the complete learning path for product teams, ensuring they are fully armed for success.  Over the course of his career, Steve has helped thousands of companies and tens of thousands of product professionals implement product management processes. He has worked in the high-tech arena since 1981, rising through the ranks from product manager to chief marketing officer. Steve has experience in technical, sales and marketing management positions at companies that specialize in both hardware and software. In addition, he is an author, speaker and advisor on product strategy and product management.

Pragmatic Institute Logo and 3 verticals

I am a new product manager working on developing a new product. One thing that I am struggling with as a product manager is how to get out there and set up time with potential buyers / users who would fit within my product demographic. Since I don’t have an existing product, I can’t interview current customers, since there aren’t any. I am trying to find ways of being able to reach out to the target market segment without coming across as too “salesy” and in a manner that is approachable and efficient.

Read my friend Jeff’s reply in How do I set up customer interviews?: on Ask A Good Product Manager.

Author
  • Steve Johnson

    Steve Johnson was a founding instructor at Pragmatic Institute, a role he held for more than 15 years before he left to start Under10 Playbook. In his return to Pragmatic Institute, Steve supports the complete learning path for product teams, ensuring they are fully armed for success.  Over the course of his career, Steve has helped thousands of companies and tens of thousands of product professionals implement product management processes. He has worked in the high-tech arena since 1981, rising through the ranks from product manager to chief marketing officer. Steve has experience in technical, sales and marketing management positions at companies that specialize in both hardware and software. In addition, he is an author, speaker and advisor on product strategy and product management.

Author:

Other Resources in this Series

Most Recent

Prism photo: Product management Lessons from Pink Floyd
Article

Product Management Lessons from Pink Floyd: a Lighthearted Look into Their Epic Music and Unlikely Product Expertise

Few people (actually, no one!) spontaneously associate product management with Pink Floyd, but if you look closely, you can find good examples of best product management practices in their journey, as I hope to reveal...
Creating a product roadmap: what should you include
Article

A Guide to Product Roadmaps: How to Build One That Works

A product roadmap is a frequent request from the sales force and others in the company. ‘What’s coming in the next release and the ones after that?’ Long buying cycles common with strategic products often...
Dry erase board with product roadmap drawn on it
Article

How to Build a Brilliant Visual Product Roadmap

Building roadmaps is a crucial part of a product manager’s job. Yet most product managers still use outdated tools for roadmapping—Excel, PowerPoint, wikis, etc. The good news is that there’s a better way. Executives have...
Product Datasheet
Article

How to Write a Kick-Butt Product Datasheet

If your datasheet passes the all-important skimming test, it's more likely that buyers will read it in detail. Here are 10 tips to help you write a datasheet that buyers actually read.
Person working on project management software on a tablet
Article

10 Tools for Product Managers 

The right product tools can make it easier to manage your team, but there are hundreds out there—so how do you choose which one is right for you?

OTHER ArticleS

Prism photo: Product management Lessons from Pink Floyd
Article

Product Management Lessons from Pink Floyd: a Lighthearted Look into Their Epic Music and Unlikely Product Expertise

Few people (actually, no one!) spontaneously associate product management with Pink Floyd, but if you look closely, you can find good examples of best product management practices in their journey, as I hope to reveal...
Creating a product roadmap: what should you include
Article

A Guide to Product Roadmaps: How to Build One That Works

A product roadmap is a frequent request from the sales force and others in the company. ‘What’s coming in the next release and the ones after that?’ Long buying cycles common with strategic products often...

Sign up to stay up to date on the latest industry best practices.

Sign up to received invites to upcoming webinars, updates on our recent podcast episodes and the latest on industry best practices.

Training on Your Schedule

Fill out the form today and our sales team will help you schedule your private Pragmatic training today.

Subscribe

Subscribe