Are B2B PMs too far from customers?
In B2B organisations, product managers often struggle to stay close to the customer, with sales teams owning most of the conversations. But what happens when you rely solely on sales for insights?
In this extract from our conversation with Sally Foote, Product Advisor at Bower Collective, we explore practical ways PMs can bridge the gap. We’ll also dig into the shifting role of the PM, as product, sales, and consultancy skills start to blur.
If this conversation resonated with you, check out our full conversation with Sally here.
Seven learnings from Sally
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Don’t rely on sales alone for customer insight
Sales teams are focused on closing deals quickly, which means they often miss the deeper friction points, unmet needs, and opportunities that product managers should be spotting. -
Advisory panels are a powerful discovery tool
Bringing customers (even competitors) into the same room reveals pain points, sparks debate, and gives you valuable customer language to use in positioning and marketing. -
Product managers need to be customer-facing
Embedding PMs into sales calls or alongside B2B customers unlocks insights that salespeople miss. This can fuel creativity and ensure the product aligns with real-world problems. -
Blurring roles: PMs, sales, and consultancy
With AI-driven and growth-focused products, PMs often need to step into hybrid roles. -
AI can accelerate discovery
Tools like custom GPT personas or “AI focus groups” let PMs test ideas and hear from hard-to-reach stakeholders. They won’t replace live conversations but can be a big leap forward at the early stages. -
Align incentives with product growth
Sales teams need clear incentives to prioritise new features , like the “wallet” launch at Carwa, where adoption only took off once salespeople were rewarded for driving usage. -
Pricing is evolving fast
Historically driven by consultants, pricing in B2B is shifting towards AI-informed, dynamic models, raising the question of whether anyone “owns” pricing in the future.
About the author
The Product Experience
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