How can you build strong relationships with customers through product vision statements?

A product vision statement is a concise declaration that outlines the long-term goals and aspirations for a product. It provides a clear and inspiring direction, guiding the development and evolution of the product. A well-crafted product vision statement communicates the purpose of the product, the value it aims to deliver to users, and often emphasizes the positive impact it seeks to make in the market. It serves as a guiding beacon for the product team, aligning their efforts toward a common goal.

One thing I have always kept in mind while crafting product vision statements is value selling. Many times we end up selling features and capabilities, but product vision is all about experiences, benefits and associated value both in qualitative and quantitative sense to the prospective buyers, users and their end customers. So when we create a product vision, let us think about defining the value that it promises to deliver to different stake holders in the short term to medium and long term. Let it reflect the new improved experiences for users, associated technical/business beenfits and more importantly the measurable outcomes from a sustainable business growth perspective.

To a certain degree I have not been in favor of creating product vision statement. Depending on the organization structure and business model most product statements are a bit of a derivative of the company vision statement. In todays day and age where technology and more importantly the pace at which it is adapted changes the business environment at the blink of an eye, the relevance of a vision for a product to me seems irrelevant to some extent. The company vision is the guiding compass, the products/ services are means to get the company there. The positioning statement of the product should give the understanding of what problems / needs it addresses including the experience it’s intended to deliver

It involves aligning your vision with their needs. Clearly communicate how your product addresses their challenges and improves their experiences, and ultimately their lives and life style. It’s pure customer centric action. Regularly update customers on progress, seek feedback, and show that their input shapes the product's direction. Transparency and a shared vision create a sense of partnership and trust. It also creates loyal e engaged customers.

I believe the best way to tell you what is a product vision statement is to give a practical example: When I was Product Marketing leader for Microsoft Project our vision was to be the go to place for all project managers who manage all type of projects and want to optimize the work from their team and be more productive. In essence all our decisions were based in order to improve work quality for the PMO role.

It’s this one little big difference between a reason to believe and a reason to buy. A vision statement should include a good reason why this product is not only the next faster, better, stronger. If you are able to send the message to bring a real value for your customer / market it gets to a trust product fast - the other one is a replaceable quick win, which helps you surely but can be outnumbered quickly as well.

Nobody (even you yet) has not seen your product. So, you need clear, understandable descriptions that reaches and conquers hearts and minds of your audience.

A Apple é um grande exemplo de que ter uma declara??o de vis?o de produto é crucial, porque ela define a dire??o e o propósito do produto, orientando as decis?es de desenvolvimento e estratégias de mercado. Ela ajuda a diferenciar o produto dos concorrentes, destacando suas características únicas e o valor que oferece aos clientes. Além disso, uma vis?o clara motiva e alinha a equipe interna, enquanto inspira confian?a e lealdade nos clientes, incentivando-os a adotar o produto e a permanecer engajados com a marca.

A product vision is key to maintain the focus, to align the direction of the team that is working on it, and to be able to efficiently proceed toward a meaningful goal vs being distracted in a world of infinite options.

Se necesita una declaración de visión de producto no solo desde una parte lógica funcional, sino también emocional que acompa?e las aspiraciones del cliente final para generar un verdadero vínculo entre marca~producto ~ cliente.

Para estar claro na declara??o de vis?o de produto o valor que ele entrega, dores que mitiga e/ou resolve e ganhos que oferece, as personas desenhadas ou os arquétipos escolhidos para representar seus usuários devem ser levados em considera??o no momento de sua escrita e forma de apresenta??o, contemplando uma linguagem que n?o seja uma barreira para o que esperamos que os clientes/usuários compreendam sobre o produto e que seja aderente ao que o segmento almeja.

It should answer three key questions: - what problem are we trying to solve? - what will be the ultimate user experience once the problem is solved? - in very high level terms, how are we planning to solve it?

When I started assignments in product domain way back in 2002, we used to write two documents. The first one is product strategy/vision document. The second one is product definition document. The product strategy document should cover the 3 to 4 year aspect of the product. This should comprises of high level need /gap analysis, market size ( available or perceived), Macro economy factors ( e.g. regulatory challenges), Feature layout at high level, tech journey high level. For more reach out to me !!!!!!

Start by immersing yourself in the world of your customers. It's not just about demographics; it's about understanding the heartbeat of their challenges and aspirations. Identify your target customer segment, not as a statistical entity, but as a living, breathing community with real problems and aspirations. Now, pinpoint the nucleus – the core pain point that keeps your customers awake at night. It's not just about addressing a problem; it's about becoming the solution to a heartfelt struggle. Your product should not be a transaction; it should be a transformative experience, and the first stroke on your canvas is understanding and articulating this problem with empathy.

A declara??o de vis?o do produto é um processo decorrente de várias análises: uma imers?o nas associa??es ideais do público alvo sobre o produto buscando identificar pontos de paridade com concorrentes e pontos de diferen?a, uma avalia??o dos atributos únicos e suas entregas de valor para o cliente, o entendimento para qual público essa entrega de valor é muito importante e ent?o a tradu??o em uma proposi??o simples e objetiva.

Se puede usar de dos maneras: literal o abstracta. De manera literal debe ser comunicada de forma directa en los touch points y el momento ideal donde el cliente está receptivo a comunicación ligando de manera clara las necesidades (funcional) y las aspiraciones (emocional) del cliente al producto. Usarlo de manera literal podría ser más efectivo, pero más arriesgado al representar a una marca más necesitada de venta. De manera abstracta, requiere una mayor creatividad y psicología del consumidor. Se comunica sin palabras literales sobre la visión del producto, logrando que el resultado sea la generación de empatía con las necesidades y aspiraciones del cliente.

A product vision statement serves as a strategic compass for steering the development of your product. Leverage it to foster team alignment, establish priorities, and inform decision-making. Ensure its clarity, inspiration, and alignment with long-term objectives. Consistently revisit and communicate the vision to maintain a collective focus on the overarching purpose of the product.

The most important is to really use the statement as your North Star, so it's important to embed it in every decision, from roadmap planning to feature design. Share it with users, partners, and other stakeholders. Let it spark discussions, fuel ideas, and guide your product roadmap.

Absolutely! The vision statement becomes a guide for developers, marketing team, quality assurance, sales team, everyone...as you move through development toward launch, you have to look back and ask yourselves if you have achieved what you set out to do, and is it as good as planned? If you forecast that people would pay 20% more for this, if it delivered what you set as your vision, keep testing that. Have we built something to this vision? Does sales understand that this vision addresses a real need, and that it is WORTH what we say it is.

Una declaración de visión de producto es una herramienta poderosa, pero para aprovechar su potencial, es crucial integrarla de manera efectiva en las diversas funciones y procesos relacionados con el desarrollo y la comercialización del producto. Recuerda que la declaración de visión no es estática y debe evolucionar con el tiempo. A medida que el producto crece y cambia, es posible que debas ajustar la declaración de visión para asegurarte de que siga siendo relevante y guíe eficazmente el desarrollo y la comercialización del producto.

Measuring the impact of a product vision statement involves: Team Alignment: Assess if team decisions align with the vision. Use surveys or interviews for insights. Roadmap Consistency: Ensure the product roadmap and features reflect the vision. Stakeholder Feedback: Collect feedback from stakeholders on the vision's resonance and guidance. User Engagement: Monitor user engagement and feedback to gauge if the product meets its envisioned purpose. Market Position: Evaluate market position and brand perception in relation to the vision. Business Metrics: Track sales, customer acquisition, and retention for growth indicators. Innovation and Adaptability: Observe how the vision influences product innovation and market adaptability

The way you approach developing the KPI depends on the product: - If you had input from a product advisory board comprised of your target market, have them test it. Do they agree that it solves the problem? Does it live up to the vision? Would they provide a testimonial, or participate in creation of a case study? - For bigger ticket or business sales, measure interest and sales. When you start to market the product, are people compelled to action? Do they ask for a sample, a trial, or for more information? Do they buy? Do they repeat buy? - Gather feedback on returns/cancellations. Did the product not do what you promised, or did they expect more? Was it the vision, or a manufacturing/software/delivery issue?

Medir el impacto de la declaración de visión de su producto implica evaluar cómo ha influido en diferentes aspectos del desarrollo del producto, la percepción del cliente y el rendimiento general. Medir el impacto de la declaración de visión es un proceso continuo y debe adaptarse a medida que evolucionan los productos, las metas y el mercado. La recopilación de datos a lo largo del tiempo proporcionará una visión más completa del impacto de la declaración de visión en el éxito general del producto.

The vision for the product should come from the level so that ultimately all employees and customers of the product can clearly understand the positioning. It is important that the C-level are visionaries and can inspire everyone with their vision.

CSAT and NPS are great measures of a successful product vision statement, which basically means that you have succeeded in creating the right product-market fit. The ultimate long-term measure of success for PMMs is the ability to build the trust of customers in your organisation's brand and products. When the customers trust you and the organisation to always look after their needs and best interests, your products will sell themselves.

Consider a public facing roadmap in order to build trust with customers and prospects. This can be a valuable tool for reaching your ICP and planning future roadmap items. A public facing feature request board is an excellent companion, allowing your customers/prospects to feel heard while building community around your product.

While crafting a product vision statement, it's essential to strike a balance between aspiration and practicality. Regular reviews and adjustments may be necessary to keep it aligned with the evolving business landscape. Be wary of becoming too attached to a static vision, as adaptability is key in the dynamic world of product development. The vision should inspire and guide but not constrain creative and strategic evolution.

Here’s what I would add on the website to strengthen customer relationship. 1 - Discussion forum: so customers can share their thoughts and make feature requests. 2 - Product roadmap: so everyone know which way the product is going. 3 - At risk database: this is an internal project, I would maintain a list of customers who shared concerns regarding the product and reach out to them to understand their pain points. So the product can be improved with their feedback.