What does a product development consultant do? These consultants help different companies in creating profitable, award-winning products based on the needs and demands of their target market. Services may include planning, research, portfolio management, and actual product creation.
Here’s how you can advance in product development consulting:
1. Goal setting. Product development does not only focus on creating new products but also in improving current products to make them more suitable to the needs and demands of the target market. Before you work with your clients, you need to have a solid understanding as to what they would like you to do. Are they going to need help in creating brand new products or are they going to need help in making their current product line more saleable?
2. Evaluate and come up with solutions. After knowing the needs and demands of your clients, spend at least a couple of days with your team experts to decide if this is something that your company can do. Remember, you must only accept projects that are realistic and doable. If you think that this is something that you can handle, create an action plan and present it to your clients. You will need to explain your action plans and seek agreement before you proceed.
3. Time required. It is very important that you give your clients a solid idea as to when you can deliver their desired results. List down all the things that you and your team will need to do and decide how many days it will take you to finish the whole project. I recommend that you give yourselves additional 4-5 business days that you can certainly use should you encounter delays. If not, you’ll make your clients happier by delivering earlier than expected.
4. Consider their target market. When helping your clients in improving a certain product or when creating a new one, make sure that you take into consideration their target market. You will need to make sure that all the features, selling points, and benefits match the needs and demands of these people. Make some time to do market research and consider interviewing potential buyers to get to know their preferences and the elements that can affect their buying decisions. The more you know about these people, the higher your chances of helping your clients in creating products that will match the needs of their prospects.