How many times have you heard the expression “A picture is worth a thousand words”?

I accompanied many sales people on customer visits and found that when talking with customers, no matter how good your pitch is, there is nothing like seeing and interacting with the actual product.

No fancy brochure, presentation, webinar, technical spec or even a great discount will sell the customer on your product, unless they have had the opportunity to use it and see for themselves how it addresses their needs.

I can already see my fellow colleagues raising an eyebrow and wondering:  does it mean that for every product I am building I need a demo?  In theory that would be ideal, but we all know it is not always practical. There are other ways to get customers to touch and feel the product. Here are some suggestions:

•  Sign up some of your potential customers as your beta users giving them the opportunity to see the product for themselves. This process achieves two things: your customers get to test drive your product and make useful suggestions, and they can serve as advocates and references for it.
•  If your product lends itself to a Flash demo, you can show the customer the way your product will look and some features it will have. If they buy into the concept, you are onto something.
• Create a prototype that highlights the key features your product has.

The more exposure and feedback your product gets early on, the better its chances of making it in the market. If your product has already been released, make sure your sales people demo the real thing. After all, would you buy a car without test driving it?

Many of my fellow product management practitioners are often placed in a difficult situation where customers request certain features for their products, but the product manager's hands are tied. It's not that they don't care about the voice of their customers, rather management's vision is different. On one hand, senior management makes promises to Wall St. or the investors, which appeases the company's shareholders, but neglects the opinion of the customers. How does a product manager ensure that s/he does not lose sight of the customers?

1. Look for common threads.

Ask yourself: will the direction my company is taking address my customers’ needs in the long run?

If you have done your homework as a product manager you should know what your customers expect from you. Look for a common thread between the customers' needs and the shareholders' interests. Sometimes they are in fact very similar.

2. What if there is no common thread?

Make sure your product offers something that satisfies your customers in addition to what was promised to your shareholders. There is always room for more customer features. It may be a hard sell to upper management, however it must be noted that the the consumers pay the bills. If you lose your customers' business, it will be detrimental to your shareholders. Have data to support this point; executives will agree with your reasoning if you have the numbers to support it.

3. You are overruled by the executives.

In the case that your customers' requests go unanswered, be prepared to discuss this with the customers. Being frank and honest goes a long way. If executive management is unresponsive, you may want to schedule a meeting between the customer and management so each party can voice its concerns. This step is especially important if it is a major customer who will be affected.

If after taking these measures management has not satisfied the consumer, be ready to concede defeat. Perhaps it is time to find a company that is more attuned to the consumers' needs.