As part of our ‘In the Spotlight’ series, we are shining a light on our teams at Major Players, finding out more about them and the sectors they serve. For our first instalment, we caught up with our yoga extraordinaire, Tiffany Trigg who manages our Product division.
Tell us a little bit about what Product is and what your team covers
Product Managers are responsible for guiding a product from it’s conception all the way through to it’s launch, leading cross-functional teams including tech & UX, marketing and various relevant support teams, as well as ensuring all stakeholders are onboard with the development of the product.
Our team at Major Players covers all levels of Product Management, starting from Business Analysts, Product Owners, all the way up to Chief Product Officer’s and Chief Operating Officers. We predominately work with brands, but we also have a progressive pool of digital agencies and consultancy’s that also call upon our services.
What attributes make a good Product Manager?
As a Product Manager and leader, you’re expected to be a visionary, seeing beyond what others might not see. As I have already mentioned, Product Managers have to lead cross-functional teams so it’s really important that you have the skill set to match:
Decisiveness - is key, you need to be confident in your plan as you’ll be dealing with many stakeholders
Strategy – bringing value to customers will always be top priority; particularly how the product is going to stand out in from it’s competitors, and also thinking about roadmaps for the future, what actions are needed now, and what can wait.
Communication – you need to articulate the business value to the wider team so that they understand the intent behind the product or new release. You are the link between all departments and your customers, and the language or visual communication will alter between all of them – you need to be adept at adapting.
Empathy - it’s important to be understanding of your customers and stakeholders, listening to their wants and needs, and then coming up with solutions on how to solve them. A happy team is a more productive one.
What are the biggest trends you’re currently seeing?
Throughout the lockdown period, Product has remained relatively buoyant, as has our Digital Marketing, Big Data & Analytics, and Digital Creative teams.
As things start to return to ‘normal’, we are seeing high demand for digital roles in particular within the Fin-Tech, E-commerce, Broadcast and Gaming sectors. This is as a result of more consumers heading online and brands are putting more importance into creating an effective and holistic customer journey. For example, up to 60% of customers say they prefer digital self-serve tools (AI Chatbots) vs call centers, offering users a virtual ‘concierge’ when they land on site. AI is also helping retailers learn about their consumers habits, allowing brands to put a stronger focus upon driving personalised consumer experiences.
A recent survey on The Future of Shopping (BBC) has shown that 2 in 5 consumers intend to continue to make the majority of their purchases online, despite bricks and mortar stores re-opening. I envisage as digital traffic continues to grow, businesses will invest more into their online presence and how they’re interacting with their customers, digitally. Businesses who can take intelligent risks and make the most of the current situation, will be those who can set themselves up for success moving forward.
What advice would you give to someone thinking of moving into Product?
I think if you’re looking to move or start your career in Product, I would recommend you read a book called ‘Inspired’ by Marty Cagan. It gives you a real insight into what it takes to structure and staff a vibrant and successful product division, putting tech at the forefront of what you’re doing.
I would also recommend that if you’re new to Product, learn the basics of the disciplines around it, try booking yourself onto a finance course initially. You can then understand how a business works, how it makes money, and where it’s differences comes from – what does a company need to do, to put itself ahead of it’s competitors. As a Product Manager it is really important to understand a business and its customers first. If you care about bringing solutions to market, which really make a difference for your customer, and genuinely interested in how your Product will go to market, how it is built, and the problems you need to solve - this will separate you from the rest.
What do you predict for the industry in the year ahead?
If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that the digital trends we are already seeing, have been dramatically accelerated and will continue to do so. As we spend more time reflecting and finding out what’s important to us, I think we will see this translated digitally – and businesses that are progressive and forward thinking, will tap into this.
What roles are you currently recruiting for?
We currently have a wide variety of roles including a great opportunity as a Global Head of Product at well known e-commerce business, as well as a handful of Product Manager roles within a variety of sectors including: FMCG, Broadcast, Governmental and Fin-Tech.
If you'd like to learn more about our product division or how we can help you further, then get in touch with us today.
