Job Responsibilities
Gather market information to develop new products (user feedback, competitors, online tools, etc,)
Develop product sales strategy with the help of the sales department
Do a sales forecast based on past sales, and growth and economy.
Do planning for various departments like sales, advertising and production to make sure the all run in unison.
Do product pricing based on market research and cost involved.
What to Study
Marketing Management Certificate Course
Marketing Management Short Course
N4 Marketing Management Course
What does a Product Manager do?
A Product Manager facilitates the creation of products. They define the what, when and why of the product based on market research and customer demands. After the research is done they liaise with other teams like sales and support to get the product from planning to selling. Managing product creation and facilitating the launch of new products. Ending the cycle by reporting back on Strategy, Execution, and User Understanding to the Executives and Management. So what are the duties that you will have as a Product Manager?
Product Manager Duties:
- Gather market information to develop new products (user feedback, competitors, online tools, etc,).
- Develop product sales strategy with the help of the sales department
- Sales forecasts
- Sales, advertising and production plans
- Product pricing
What Qualifications do I Need to be a Product Manager?
You can have qualifications in different fields. Namely, Marketing or Business. With Marketing being your better choice seeing that it’s a Marketing role.
Now you are wondering if you need a Degree? The simple answer is no. But, some form of education is always needed. In this instance, a Distance Learning National Certificate in Marketing Management will definitely benefit you.
So where do you get such a qualification? Skills Academy offers this accredited certificate and you can study in the comfort of your own home. While keeping your full-time job or starting your career in the marketing field as an intern. So you know where to study, let’s have a look at what skills you need.
What Skills Does a Product Manager Need?
We all have skills that we excel at and then there are skills we are working on and trying to learn. Knowing what your skills are will identify your weaknesses and strengths. I am sure you have a good understanding of your skills already but here are some skills a Product Manager needs. Don’t worry if you don’t have them all as you can learn the rest doing a Skills Academy course.
- Design Skills
- Sales Planning
- Managing Risk
- Research and Analysis Skills
You will pick even more skills the more you work in the marketing field.
Product Manager Salary
The Product Manager is one of the key roles in a business. As you know, they facilitate the development of products and without products, a business has nothing to sell. Their salary matches the importance they have to the business. As a Product Manager, the average salary is R 35 045 p/m. Depending on experience, qualifications, and company size this could be more.
How do I Become a Product Manager
Based on your skill set you can become a technical or creative type product manager. Let me explain. The difference between Technical and Creative is purely the skills and experience that the product managers have. Design and writing are examples of Creative skills. Coding or project management being Technical skills. Technical Skills are normally required when maintenance of an existing product is required.
Now that you know what types of Product Manager there are let’s look at what else you need to do to become one.
- Start by getting a National Certificate. Most employers are still looking for qualifications. The earlier you start the more time you’ll have to build your experience.
- Volunteer at work to solve problems. When any problem arises, use the opportunity to get valuable problem solving skills. Problem solving is important to the role of a Product manager. This could lead to you working on across teams collaborations.
- Be visible when looking for Product Management roles. Update your Linkedin profile. Load your CV and details on employment sites. The more visible you are the easier it will be for future employers to find you.
- Do research. There are many books on Product Management that can benefit you in your search. Take advantage of them.
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Author: Lucrisia Benjamin
Last Updated: August 21, 2020