Product Management Training Course

Duration 10 days 20 modules · 65 contact hours
Level Intermediate Certificate on completion
Who attends Product Managers, Associate Product Managers and others
Fee from USD 2,200 KSh 190,000 for Kenyan organisations
Where 52 cities + online See dates by city
Next start 16 Nov 2026 Course code SD-M-054

Before you join: Participants should have at least one year of experience in product, marketing, sales, commercial, customer experience, operations or a related business role.

Dates & prices

Two start dates a month in every city, and live online on weekdays or weekends. Fees are per participant; classroom fees include tuition, materials, lunch and refreshments, and the certificate.

Suggest a date or city

Showing the next six months. Later dates, other cities and private deliveries for your team are available on request.

Course overview

Product managers must turn uncertain market signals into commercially viable offers, then guide those offers through development, launch, growth and retirement. The role requires decisions across customer needs, market attractiveness, product economics, pricing, channels, sales enablement and regional adaptation. In multinational firms, public-sector suppliers, banks, manufacturers and technology businesses, product choices must also account for local regulation, competitive conditions, language, culture and route-to-market constraints.

This course develops the methods used to manage products across domestic and international markets. Participants assess market opportunities, define segments, write value propositions, set product strategy, manage portfolios, build business cases and create evidence-based roadmaps. They use customer research, Jobs to Be Done, competitive analysis, lifecycle planning, pricing methods, Stage-Gate governance and launch planning. The programme also addresses cross-functional decision-making with sales, marketing, operations, finance, legal, technology and external channel partners.

Teaching combines concise instructor briefings with cases, group analysis, product decision simulations and structured application to participants’ own products or services. Participants progressively build a product management dossier during the course, using a real product, proposed offer or selected case. By the final session, they review and present a complete product strategy and go-to-market plan supported by customer evidence, financial assumptions, priorities, launch actions and performance measures.

The course suits professionals who already work with products, propositions, services, brands, commercial planning or customer insight and who need a disciplined approach to product decisions. It is particularly useful for managers moving into product roles, experienced product managers seeking stronger commercial methods, and functional specialists who contribute to product development and launch.

What you will be able to do

  • Assess market attractiveness using structured market, competitor and customer analysis
  • Define target segments and positioning statements using evidence-based segmentation methods
  • Build product strategies that connect customer needs, portfolio choices and commercial objectives
  • Create product business cases using revenue, cost, margin and investment assumptions
  • Prioritise product requirements using Jobs to Be Done, Kano analysis and scoring criteria
  • Develop product roadmaps with release priorities, dependencies, risks and decision gates
  • Design go-to-market plans covering pricing, channels, sales enablement and launch measures
  • Present a complete product strategy dossier with defensible recommendations and metrics

Benefits of attending

For you

  • Produce a credible product strategy for a current product or proposed offer
  • Make product priorities visible through evidence, criteria and financial trade-offs
  • Lead clearer discussions with sales, finance, technology and senior management
  • Prepare business cases that connect product investment to commercial returns
  • Build a reusable product management toolkit for domestic and international assignments

For your organisation

  • Improves consistency of product decisions across markets, regions and product lines
  • Reduces avoidable launch risk through clearer customer, channel and financial assumptions
  • Strengthens alignment between product, marketing, sales, operations and finance teams
  • Creates better evidence for product investment, development and portfolio decisions
  • Shortens rework caused by unclear requirements, weak positioning and untested propositions

Course modules

20 modules over 10 days

Participants can define the product manager’s mandate, accountabilities and cross-functional working model.

  • Product-management mandate, decision rights and interfaces with sales, engineering and finance
  • Distinguishing product management, product marketing, project management and account management responsibilities
  • RACI matrix for product decisions, approvals, escalation routes and delivery accountability
  • Product operating models for physical goods, services, platforms and digital products
  • Balancing customer value, commercial outcomes, technical feasibility and operational readiness
  • Stakeholder maps identifying sponsors, contributors, approvers, users and channel partners

Participants can assess market conditions and identify product opportunities worth investigating.

  • Market definition using customer needs, substitute offers and buying contexts
  • TAM, SAM and SOM estimates built from credible market assumptions
  • PESTLE analysis identifying political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors
  • Porter’s Five Forces applied to supplier power, rivalry and substitutes
  • Opportunity scoring against attractiveness, fit, urgency, access and profitability criteria
  • Assumption logs separating observed evidence from estimates, beliefs and open questions

Participants can translate customer evidence into prioritised customer jobs, pains and desired outcomes.

  • Voice-of-customer research plans combining interviews, observation, surveys and service data
  • Jobs to Be Done interviews identifying functional, emotional and social progress
  • Outcome-driven innovation statements specifying desired outcomes, context and success measures
  • Customer journey maps showing triggers, actions, friction points and moments of truth
  • Interview guides avoiding leading questions, solution bias and unsupported generalisations
  • Insight synthesis separating customer quotes, behaviours, interpretations and product implications

Participants can select priority segments using needs, value and accessibility criteria.

  • Needs-based segmentation grouping customers by problems, priorities and buying circumstances
  • Behavioural segmentation using usage patterns, purchase triggers and service preferences
  • Segment attractiveness assessed through size, growth, margin, access and strategic fit
  • Target-market selection using scoring matrices and explicit exclusion decisions
  • Buyer personas documenting roles, goals, constraints, objections and information sources
  • Buying-centre analysis mapping users, influencers, buyers, gatekeepers and economic sponsors

Participants can create differentiated value propositions and defensible market positioning.

  • Value proposition canvas linking customer jobs, pains, gains and offer elements
  • Positioning statements specifying target customer, category, benefit and reason to believe
  • Points of parity and points of difference against direct alternatives
  • Message hierarchies connecting primary promise, proof points and supporting claims
  • Proof requirements drawn from performance data, customer evidence and certifications
  • Perceptual maps comparing competitor positions on meaningful customer decision criteria

Participants can formulate product strategy choices linked to business objectives and market evidence.

  • Product vision statements describing intended customer, change and strategic purpose
  • Strategic objectives expressed through revenue, adoption, retention, margin and market-share targets
  • Ansoff Matrix choices across penetration, development, markets and diversification
  • Strategic themes translating corporate priorities into product investment areas
  • Choice cascades clarifying winning aspiration, where-to-play and how-to-win decisions
  • Strategy-on-a-page formats linking evidence, choices, initiatives, risks and measures

Participants can evaluate product portfolios and recommend investment, maintenance or exit actions.

  • Portfolio inventory capturing products, variants, customers, revenues, costs and lifecycle stages
  • BCG growth-share matrix used cautiously with market data and profitability evidence
  • GE-McKinsey matrix comparing market attractiveness with competitive business strength
  • Cannibalisation analysis estimating demand transfers between existing and proposed offers
  • Product rationalisation criteria covering margin, strategic fit, complexity and customer commitments
  • Portfolio review cadences, governance forums and decision records for investment choices

Participants can build a product business case with transparent commercial assumptions.

  • Revenue models covering unit sales, subscriptions, usage fees, licences and service contracts
  • Contribution margin calculated from price, variable costs, discounts and channel fees
  • Break-even analysis linking fixed investment, contribution margin and sales volume
  • Business-case assumptions documented with sources, confidence levels and sensitivity ranges
  • Scenario analysis comparing base, upside and downside commercial outcomes
  • Net present value used for longer-term product investment decisions

Participants can recommend pricing structures that reflect value, costs, competition and channel economics.

  • Value-based pricing anchored in customer economic benefit and willingness to pay
  • Cost-plus pricing tested against market alternatives, margin requirements and demand
  • Competitive price benchmarking adjusted for features, service levels and contract terms
  • Price architecture defining packages, tiers, add-ons, bundles and discount boundaries
  • Conjoint analysis principles for testing attribute trade-offs and price sensitivity
  • Price waterfall analysis tracing list price, discounts, rebates and realised revenue

Participants can turn customer needs into testable product concepts and requirements.

  • Product concept statements describing target user, problem, promise and differentiators
  • Problem statements separating user need, business objective and solution assumptions
  • User stories written with actor, need, benefit and acceptance criteria
  • Minimum viable product scope selected to test highest-risk assumptions
  • Kano analysis distinguishing basic, performance, attractive and indifferent features
  • Requirements traceability linking customer needs, specifications, tests and release decisions

Participants can prioritise initiatives and build roadmaps that support strategic product choices.

  • RICE scoring compares reach, impact, confidence and effort across initiatives
  • Weighted scoring models using agreed criteria, evidence and sensitivity checks
  • Opportunity solution trees connect desired outcomes, opportunities and solution options
  • Now-next-later roadmaps communicate sequence without false delivery precision
  • Dependency mapping identifies technical, regulatory, supplier and operational constraints
  • Roadmap governance defines review cycles, change control and stakeholder communication

Participants can apply governance, risk controls and decision gates across product development.

  • Stage-Gate governance defines discovery, business case, development, testing and launch decisions
  • Gate criteria assess evidence, readiness, risk exposure and resource commitments
  • Risk registers record probability, impact, owner, mitigation and contingency actions
  • FMEA identifies failure modes, causes, controls and priority actions
  • Legal, regulatory and compliance reviews integrated into product development plans
  • Change-control procedures protect approved scope, requirements, budget and launch timing

Participants can decide when to standardise, adapt or localise products for international markets.

  • Market-entry screening compares demand, access, regulation, competition and operating feasibility
  • Standardisation-versus-adaptation decisions address product, price, message and channel choices
  • Localisation requirements cover language, currency, units, documentation and customer support
  • Country business cases account for taxes, tariffs, distributors and local costs
  • Cross-cultural research checks meaning, usage patterns, trust signals and purchase drivers
  • International governance balances global consistency with justified local market exceptions

Participants can select and manage routes to market suited to product and customer requirements.

  • Direct, partner, distributor and digital channels compared against customer buying behaviour
  • Channel selection criteria include coverage, capability, control, cost and customer experience
  • Partner value propositions define margins, support, incentives and joint account responsibilities
  • Channel conflict scenarios addressed through territory rules, pricing policies and account ownership
  • Sales process mapping identifies qualification, demonstration, proposal and contracting requirements
  • Service delivery models align fulfilment capacity, onboarding and post-sale support

Participants can build a coordinated go-to-market plan with measurable launch actions.

  • Go-to-market plans align audience, proposition, channels, sales actions and launch timing
  • Launch checklists cover product readiness, inventory, training, communications and support
  • Sales enablement materials include pitch decks, objection handling and qualification guides
  • Demand-generation plans specify campaign objectives, audiences, offers, media and response measures
  • Launch sequencing manages pilot customers, phased releases and market expansion decisions
  • Readiness reviews confirm ownership, dependencies, escalation paths and contingency arrangements

Participants can manage product performance and decisions across lifecycle stages.

  • Product lifecycle stages guide investment, pricing, promotion and channel decisions
  • Adoption curves distinguish innovators, early adopters, majority segments and laggards
  • Growth plans identify capacity, feature, channel and service scaling requirements
  • Maturity strategies address differentiation, cost control, retention and portfolio renewal
  • End-of-life plans manage customer migration, inventory, support and contractual obligations
  • Lifecycle reviews use leading indicators, financial results and customer feedback

Participants can define product measures and use performance data to guide decisions.

  • Product KPI trees connect strategic objectives, drivers, measures and data sources
  • Acquisition metrics track reach, conversion, cost per lead and sales pipeline
  • Usage metrics measure activation, frequency, feature adoption and task completion
  • Retention analysis uses cohorts, churn rates, renewal data and customer reasons
  • Commercial dashboards report revenue, margin, discounting, channel contribution and forecast variance
  • North Star metrics selected only when they reflect durable customer value

Participants can communicate product decisions clearly and gain support from key stakeholders.

  • Stakeholder influence plans identify interests, decision power, concerns and engagement actions
  • Decision memos present recommendation, evidence, options, trade-offs and required approval
  • Executive product reviews focus on choices, risks, investment needs and performance
  • Conflict-resolution techniques separate positions, interests, criteria and possible agreements
  • Product narratives connect customer problem, strategic choice, commercial case and delivery plan
  • Meeting cadences coordinate product, sales, marketing, operations and finance commitments

Participants can assemble and quality-check the evidence, decisions and plans required for a product strategy dossier.

  • Dossier structure integrates market evidence, strategy, financials, roadmap and launch plan
  • Evidence review checks source quality, assumptions, gaps, contradictions and decision implications
  • Executive summary writing states recommendation, rationale, value, risks and requested decisions
  • Product strategy scorecards test internal consistency across target, proposition, price and channels
  • Peer review criteria assess clarity, evidence, feasibility, commercial logic and measurement
  • Presentation planning prepares concise visuals, decision points and responses to challenge

Participants can build, review and present a complete product strategy dossier for a selected product opportunity.

  • Complete product strategy dossier integrating market analysis, segmentation, positioning and portfolio choices
  • Customer evidence supports prioritised jobs, value proposition and product concept decisions
  • Financial case presents pricing, revenue assumptions, costs, margin and investment rationale
  • Roadmap sequences initiatives, dependencies, governance gates, risks and required resources
  • Go-to-market plan defines channels, sales enablement, launch actions and success measures
  • Formal presentation defends recommendations, responds to challenge and records next actions

Exercises and examples are adapted to each cohort's sectors and roles.

What you take back to work

  1. Product strategy dossier template
  2. Market opportunity assessment model
  3. Segment prioritisation scorecard
  4. Product business case template
  5. Product roadmap and governance checklist
  6. Go-to-market launch plan

Who should attend

  • Product Managers — need stronger commercial, strategic and international product management methods
  • Associate Product Managers — need a structured foundation for managing product decisions
  • Marketing Managers — need to connect brand plans with product strategy and launches
  • Commercial Managers — need to assess product opportunities, pricing and channel economics
  • Business Development Managers — need to shape viable offers for priority markets
  • Technical or Operations Managers — need to contribute effectively to product development decisions

Skills and tools covered

Market opportunity assessmentProduct portfolio managementCustomer value propositionProduct financial modellingGo-to-market planningRoadmap prioritisation

Tools and standards

Jobs to Be Done, Kano Model, RICE scoring, Stage-Gate

How the course runs

Training methodology

The programme uses short instructor briefings to introduce product management methods, followed by case work, group analysis, decision simulations and structured application planning. Participants assess market evidence, define segments, compare competitive offers, build pricing logic and make portfolio choices. Trainers use examples from business-to-business services, consumer markets, financial services, public-sector suppliers and technology-enabled offers. Throughout the course, participants develop sections of a product strategy dossier and receive peer and instructor feedback before presenting the completed work.

Requirements and prerequisites

Participants should have at least one year of experience in product, marketing, sales, commercial, customer experience, operations or a related business role. They should be comfortable discussing customers, competitors, revenue, costs and basic business performance. Experience with a specific product or service is useful because participants apply course methods to a current offer, planned launch or realistic case. No prior product management title, formal marketing qualification, software development experience, advanced financial modelling capability or statistical training is required.

A typical training day

08:30 – 10:30First session
10:30 – 10:45Refreshment break
10:45 – 12:30Second session
12:30 – 13:30Lunch and networking
13:30 – 15:00Third session
15:00 – 15:15Refreshment break
15:15 – 16:30Workshop and daily review

Live online deliveries follow the same structure in East Africa Time, with shorter screen blocks and longer breaks.

What the fee includes

  • Instruction by a practitioner facilitator
  • Full course workbook and materials
  • Exercise files, templates and case studies
  • Refreshments and lunch on classroom deliveries
  • Certificate of completion
  • Post-course application plan

Frequently asked questions

You should have experience in a commercial, marketing, sales, product, operations or customer-facing role. You do not need to hold a product management title or have technical development experience.

Bring information about a product, service, proposition or market opportunity you want to examine. Useful materials include customer feedback, sales data, competitor information, pricing, product plans or business objectives.

It suits product managers, marketing managers, commercial managers, business development professionals and functional specialists involved in product decisions. It is designed for people who need to make or influence product strategy, development and launch choices.

Marketing strategy courses focus mainly on market communications, brand and demand generation, while agile product owner courses focus on delivery backlogs and development teams. This course covers the full commercial product management remit, from opportunity assessment and portfolio choices to pricing, roadmaps and go-to-market execution.

You leave with reusable templates and a product strategy dossier that can be adapted for your own organisation. The methods support product reviews, investment requests, launch planning, portfolio decisions and stakeholder discussions.

The first part establishes market, customer, strategy, portfolio and financial foundations. The later sessions focus on requirements, roadmaps, international decisions, channels, launches, lifecycle management and the final capstone presentation; each training day runs from 08:30 to 16:30 with about 6.5 contact hours.

Questions about this course?

Ask about dates, fees, group bookings or running it for your team. Our training team replies by email.

Ask on WhatsApp info@skillsetdevelopment.com

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