How to Become a Product Planner

As a product planner, you have to use long-range planning to identify those products that will do best in the marketplace. You can become a product planner by applying the same long-distance planning to your educational pursuits and job search. Read on to learn more.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Bachelor's degree
• Multiple language fluency (optional)

Plan for Success as a Product Planner

1. Complete a 4-year undergraduate degree in marketing or business. As a product planner, a basic understanding of marketing principles is required, as well as an understanding of the role business planning plays in making market decisions.

2. Develop strong communication skills by taking course work in business communications and public speaking. Since presentation is a large part of your job as a product planner, your ability to speak well in front of a large crowd will be an asset.

3. Work your way towards a career as a product planner by seeking out jobs in sales or marketing. Even working in a retail environment as a sales associate can provide the appropriate training ground.

4. Try to find sales and marketing jobs within your own niche industry. If your passion is to become an appliance product planner for a major manufacturer, seek out employment opportunities where you will work with this type of product on a daily basis.

5. Sharpen your skills in the Microsoft Office Suite, with particular focus on Excel and PowerPoint. These two applications are widely used within the product planning field. Excel may be needed to chart demographic response to your proposed product, while PowerPoint is the presentation application most often used by companies.

6. Become familiar with business performance software, such as Cognos. This kind of software is used to record and compile data regarding product design, use and placement within the marketplace.

7. Get experience with the concept of brand management. In the field of product planning, staying true to your brand's image is essential in order to carve out your company's part of the market share.

8. Be prepared to travel, especially if you are seeking a job as a product planner in a company with international ties. To make yourself more marketable to these firms, the acquisition of skills in a second or third language may be required.

Tips & Warnings

• Plan for success as a product planner by familiarizing yourself with your industry. Since product planners are required in all fields, from housewares to high technology, you can use elective course work to narrow your focus down to a specific type of product.