As the software industry has developed from its infancy, companies have learned to provide very specific services around the core software product. They have gradually come to understand that these services - such as project management, implementation consulting, training, and software customization - are essential to the product’s success. Companies that have pushed the envelope have created services “wrapped around” or “bundled with” the software.

But what is needed is a further step in the understanding of services. Services do no just go with the product, they are the product, or at least a part of it. Your product is not just the software anymore, it’s the services, it’s customer care, it’s your user conference, your broadcasts to the customer base, and the business insight and tips you provide via email or phone to end users and managers.

When I bought my Ford Focus, it wasn’t only because the car was a delight in terms of design (and price). I bought the Ford company as well, along with the local dealership and its service department. Like so many others, I didn’t base my purchase on an understanding of a car as a product that ends at the car doors. The product, in fact, goes way beyond the physical car itself.

The companies - old and new, big and small, heavy industry and virtual technology - that are thriving in the marketplace are the ones who realize that the whole company is the product.

Product Managers are ideally positioned to help make this sea change in perspective come about at their company. In fact, such a change, while requiring the support of the CEO and the management team, probably can only take effect with the direct effort of Product Managers, because of their ability to get involved in the details.

Read the tips below to extend the understanding of your product by the company - and more importantly customers and prospects - beyond the limits of the software itself. Do this because in your customers’ eyes the product is no longer just an implementation headache but becomes a critical business initiative with a powerful brand image connecting users to all areas of your company.