How do you influence stakeholders to support your product roadmap?

As a product manager, you need to align your product roadmap with the expectations and needs of your stakeholders, such as customers, executives, developers, and users. But how do you influence them to support your vision and goals, especially when it comes to operating system updates that may affect the performance, security, and compatibility of your product? Here are some tips to help you communicate and collaborate effectively with your stakeholders and gain their buy-in for your product roadmap.

1 Know your stakeholders

Before you present your product roadmap, you need to identify and understand your stakeholders, their roles, their interests, and their pain points. You can use a stakeholder analysis matrix to map out their level of influence, engagement, and satisfaction with your product. This will help you tailor your message and address their concerns and expectations. For example, you may need to emphasize the benefits of an operating system update for your customers' security and user experience, while explaining the technical feasibility and risks for your developers.

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Ayush Jangra

CEO at Supahub | Designer turned entrepreneur | Sharing insights and learnings
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The best way to influence stakeholders is to know who they are and what they care about. If you're a product manager, this means getting to know the people in your organization from different departments and levels of seniority. What do they want? What are their goals? How can you support them in achieving those goals? It's all about understanding how they think and what matters most to them.

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2 Involve them early and often

One of the best ways to influence your stakeholders is to involve them in the product roadmap process from the beginning and keep them updated regularly. This will help you build trust, rapport, and feedback loops with them, as well as avoid surprises and conflicts later on. You can use various methods to engage your stakeholders, such as surveys, interviews, workshops, demos, and beta testing. You can also use tools like Jira or Trello to share your product roadmap and track your progress and milestones.

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Ayush Jangra

CEO at Supahub | Designer turned entrepreneur | Sharing insights and learnings
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I'm a product manager, and I'm not afraid to admit that I'm a little bit of an introvert. When I first started in my role, I struggled with how to influence stakeholders while still being able to keep my distance. Luckily, it turns out that the key is getting people involved early on in the process—and then making sure they stay involved throughout the project. If you show them what you're working on and get their feedback early on, it's much easier for them to support your ideas as they come together later. Even if you're an introvert like me, don't be afraid to ask for help! Just remember: everyone wants their voice heard, so let them contribute where they can and make sure everyone feels like their input matters.

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3 Show evidence and value

Another way to influence your stakeholders is to show them evidence and value for your product roadmap, especially when it comes to operating system updates that may require significant resources, time, and testing. You can use data, metrics, user feedback, market research, and competitive analysis to support your decisions and priorities. You can also use value proposition canvas or lean canvas to illustrate how your product roadmap solves your customers' problems and creates value for your stakeholders.

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4 Address their objections and concerns

Even if you have a compelling product roadmap, you may still face some objections and concerns from your stakeholders, especially if they have different opinions, preferences, or agendas. You need to address them respectfully and constructively, and try to find common ground and compromise. You can use techniques like active listening, empathy, reframing, and negotiation to handle their objections and concerns. You can also use scenarios, prototypes, or mockups to demonstrate how your product roadmap works in practice and how it aligns with the operating system updates.

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5 Ask for their feedback and support

Finally, you need to ask for your stakeholders' feedback and support for your product roadmap, and show them how much you value their input and collaboration. You can use tools like Google Forms or SurveyMonkey to collect their feedback and suggestions, and thank them for their participation and contribution. You can also use tools like Slack or Teams to communicate and celebrate your achievements and milestones with them. You can also ask them to endorse, advocate, or sponsor your product roadmap within their networks and organizations.

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6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Operating Systems

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How do you influence stakeholders to support your product roadmap?

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4

5

6

1 Know your stakeholders

2 Involve them early and often

3 Show evidence and value

4 Address their objections and concerns

5 Ask for their feedback and support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Operating Systems

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How do you influence stakeholders to support your product roadmap?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Know your stakeholders

2 Involve them early and often

3 Show evidence and value

4 Address their objections and concerns

5 Ask for their feedback and support

6 Here’s what else to consider

Operating Systems

Rate this article

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