Lesson 8: Connect with Your Customers

This is it, this is where the rubber meets the road. It’s time to start connecting with your target personas to learn more about their needs and explore if there are possible opportunities for you now or in the future.

Connecting with customers can be very daunting, especially for us introverts. For some, the word “networking” has a bad reputation, stirring up images of sleazy sales people working a room, pushing a sale, and throwing their business cards left and right.

But that’s not what you’ll be doing. You are a Product Manager! Your role is to learn about other people’s needs. It’s not about what you want, it’s about how you can help them. It’s about finding the right people to talk to and establishing a relationship. Therefore, you are not looking to just network, but to truly connect with these people. That’s why in this section, I’m purposefully using the word “connect” and not “network”.

In this lesson, you’ll learn various ways to connect with your target audience. Then in the next lesson, you’ll learn what to ask them once you have their attention. Let’s get started.

Connecting via LinkedIn

LinkedIn is an incredible resource to research and contact people and companies. But, as you can imagine, most people are very protective of their time and their network, and will probably not connect with you unless you give them a good reason.

Here are some tactics for how to initiate contact with your target audience in a way that’s inviting and non-threatening.

Getting introduced by a mutual connection

A mutual connection can help break the ice and provide a reason for your target persona to connect with you. Although getting an introduction is the ideal approach, at this stage you might not have connections yet who can introduce you to your target persona. But in time, the more people you connect with in your target area, the more likely they’ll be able to introduce you to other relevant people.

A good place to start is by making sure you are connected to as many people as you know. The great thing about the tech industry is that people move around. Your college buddies and your co-workers from ten years ago have probably moved around and are now in new roles and new industries. These are prime opportunities for re-connecting.

Okay, time to ask for an introduction. As you craft your email or LinkedIn message, remember that people are really busy, so don’t add work to their plate. Do all the work for them.

For example, don’t just email them saying, “Hi Joe, I’m looking for a new job in this area. Do you know anybody that can help?” With this type of message, you are asking your friend to do all of the leg work for you, and it’s less likely to happen. Not only because they are busy, but also because they probably don’t know exactly how to help you. A better approach would be:
  • Email them letting them know that you are looking to get advice in a particular area.
  • Have a specific ask, such as, “I noticed you are connected with Mark at Company X. Would you mind introducing me to him?”
  • Write a message to Mark (from you), which your connection can simply forward on your behalf with a short intro. That way you’ve made it really simple for them to make the connection.
  • Thank them and ask if there’s anything you can do for them. Karma is a beautiful thing.

Keep in mind that when you ask for an introduction, you are asking the mutual connection to vouch for you. They need to make sure that you’ll make them look good, or at least that you won’t negatively impact them. So your message needs to put them at ease.

Your message should be short and to the point. The goal is for you to get an introduction and for your target persona to understand that you’d like to get advice. You are not asking for a job or asking for too much of their time, just a little bit of advice.

Also remember you are not “networking”. You are looking to build real relationships with these people, and these relationships should provide mutual value for years to come. It’s not just a means to an end, or a way to get what you want out of someone. Some of the people you connect with might become long-term mentors or advisors. And they might reach out to you when they need your help with something.

Contacting your personas directly using LinkedIn’s InMail

If you are not able to get an introduction, you can still contact people directly through InMail. InMail is a paid feature of LinkedIn that allows you to email anybody, even if they are not in your network. You need to be strategic about how to use it, because you’ll be paying for every message you send.

Sending an InMail is the equivalent of cold calling. Suddenly your persona receives a message from somebody they don’t know asking for their valuable time. Why should they respond? Well, it’s all in the way you ask.

Here are some good tips:

  • Introduce yourself and make it clear that you are looking for advice. People are usually flattered when asked for their advice and expertise. It makes them feel valued, and it’s harder to refuse an honest request for help. Make sure it doesn’t sound like you are selling yourself or asking for a job.
  • Let them know why you chose them. In your message, it really helps if you mention something relevant to them, like some recent news about their company, that you follow them on Twitter, you read their articles, etc. You can also mention the fact that you share the same industry, location, skills, LinkedIn groups, or have connections in common. This makes them understand that you are not blindly reaching out to dozens of people. You specifically want to connect with this person.
  • Ask if they’d be open to giving you advice either via email or through a quick call (15 minutes or so). I’ve found this to be a safe first request because it is low commitment. Taking time to meet in person may feel like a lot of work to someone who doesn’t know you. You may have to build the relationship before asking for a face-to-face meetup. People are more likely to respond if you ask to exchange a couple of emails or a quick call.
  • Make sure your LinkedIn profile is complete and captures all your relevant skills and information. People will look at your profile before responding to your request. If you make a good impression, then your chances of getting their attention are a lot higher.

Keep in mind that many of your request will get no response. People might not have the time or willingness to spend time with you. And that’s okay. That’s why you have to reach out to many people and see what sticks.

The main thing to remember is that you are asking for a favor from a stranger. Be very appreciative of people who decide to give you their time. It’s a big deal. And of course, connections and relationships go both ways. Always be open to helping somebody asking you for advice and connections.

Connecting at networking events

Treat the event not as an opportunity to “network”, but as a chance to build very specific connections to help you achieve a goal. Every Product Manager needs to be able to do this. It is no different than interacting with customers you don’t know or going to trade conferences to understand your customers’ needs. But remember, even here you are not asking for a job; you are asking for advice and the opportunity to keep in touch for the future.

Here’s how to get the most from these events with the least amount of stress:

  • Avoid generic “networking events” and mixers. You need to be very selective with your time, so focus on events that actually offer you an opportunity to learn and improve your skills in addition to meeting people in your target list. That way, you’ll be killing two birds with one stone. You can attend meetups specifically for Product Managers, or for your secondary personas. See the additional resources section below for more information.
  • Become a regular. Meetup crowds are usually comprised of regulars and one-time attendees. That means if you start attending regularly, you’ll start recognizing people, and that takes the edge off being with so many “strangers”.
  • Have a goal for each event. For example, a simple goal could be: to connect with one PM that I can follow up with later. Or: to learn more about topic X. If you’re attending an event posted on Meetup.com, you can see in advance the list of attendees! That’s an opportunity to narrow your goal to something like: to connect with Susan from company Y.

One of the best ways to make the most out of events is by becoming an active participant. Connect with the organizers and offer your help. You can help organize the event, or even be a speaker.

For example, I’m one of the organizers of ProductTank San Francisco. By being a part of ProductTank, I’m automatically able to connect with the speakers, with the companies that host the event, and with all the attendees. This not only increases my network of PMs in my city, but also gives me a new pool of mentors and possible PM candidates to hire from. It’s a great opportunity.

So now that you know how to contact the people in your target list, what do you ask them? That’s the topic of the next lesson.

Additional resources: