Product manager: what he does, skills needed and salary

The
Product Manager
is the professionista who is in charge of a
product
from its conception or launch and throughout its entire production cycle, defining its commercial objectives and the marketing strategies with which to achieve them.

His or her role therefore includes coordinating the design, promotion, marketing and sales teams, and his or her duties may vary depending on the product.

It can in fact act as a supervisor during its
creation
or in the course of its
redefinition
.

A product manager typically finds employment in the
marketing departments of large companies
, where he or she is responsible for product management of consumer goods or digital products. He or she is often involved in
travel
to acquire financiers or to identify business partnerships, new distributors and potential customers.

What are the duties of a product manager?

Based on business strategy, Knowledge Design and customer needs, the Product Manager
works on the development of a product
that is
relevant and valuable
, with the dual goals of meeting market demand and achieving business objectives, maximizing ROI (Return On Investment).

However, it is not a standardized role: each product has its own target audience and a specific development process. The Product Manager of an application will deal primarily with engineers and must have solid technical and computer skills. The Product Manager of a consumer good must instead be able to interpret market needs and be familiar with large-scale production processes.

Here, in summary, are what are the
tasks of a product manager
:

• 
  conduct market studies
  and surveys of consumer behavior and preferences;
• define the
  characteristics of the product
  and establish its
  commercial objectives
  ;
• Decide, in consultation with corporate management, on the
  name
  of the product and its
  price
  purchase price;
• collaborate with the
  Product Designers
  for the design of the product and its packaging;
• collaborate with the
  marketing team
  and with the
  sales team
  in defining and managing promotional activities and analyzing sales data;
• draft
  reports
  on product performance.

The Product Manager convenes the
meetings
, chairs them, ensures that the agenda is adhered to and developed, and writes a report of what was discussed. In order for him to do his job to the best of his ability, several companies ask that he periodically talk to the
customers
either in person or through support tickets, phone calls, and video meetings.

Its main tasks, however, remain
the conception and development of the product
, as well as the definition of its short- and long-term performance.

Product Manager: the skills required

The Product Manager must possess precise Hard Skills and Soft Skills:

• perfect knowledge of the
  sector
  in which it operates;
• skills of
  Marketing
  ;
• knowledge of
  Project Management
  ;
• ability to
  teamwork
  ;
• qualities of
  leadership
  ;
• 
  analytical and planning skills
  ;
• 
  communication skills
  ;
• Knowledge of business principles;
• attitude
  multi-tasking
  ;
• 
  flexibility
  ;
• ability to
  problem-solving
  ;
• result orientation
  result
  ;
• willingness to
  travel and relocation
  ;
• knowledge of
  English language
  ;
• 
  empathy
  ;
• ability to
  work by priorities
  .

How to become a product manager

The ideal starting point for becoming a Product Manager is a
degree in marketing
. You typically find employment first as a marketing assistant or junior product manager, before becoming a Senior Product Manager. Often, those who choose to work in this field specialize in a specific sector: there are product managers of software and applications, professionals working in B2B, B2C, and retail.

Once you have accumulated the necessary experience, you can pursue your career path to become a
Brand manager, marketing manager or chief marketing officer
.

The
salary of a product manager

in Italy is 40,000 € a year
but, with career advancements, it is easy to exceed 60,000 €.

Professions related to product management are definitely among the jobs that will be
increasingly in demand by companies
over the next few years. Find out about
PHYDpedia
What are the other jobs in the future!