Is feedback or approval from an internal stakeholder blocking your project?
Here are some things to try, next time you ask.
I chat with a lot of founding PMMs who need to get approval or feedback from someone internally.
For example:
↳ Feedback from a PM on product messaging.
↳ Approval from your boss on landing page copy.
↳ Feedback from your head of sales on the new pitch deck.
These people are naturally busy, and don’t have time for vague requests and unclear timelines.
So, the next time you need feedback from someone that has trouble responding, try these things in your message:
1️⃣ Give them a clear timeline and context around why → If they don't understand the urgency, how can you expect them to prioritize it? They have priorities too.
2️⃣ Be clear and specific on what you need → A vague, “let me know what you think” never works. Help them focus by knowing what kind of feedback you’re specifically looking for.
3️⃣ Make it easy to respond → Give them a few simple options. Ex. Where do you want them to leave the feedback?
4️⃣ Set expectations for what you’ll do if they don’t reply → This is a big one. it will let them know that this train is leaving the station with their feedback or not. If they have something important they want to say, they’ll be more motivated to do it on time.
Is this approach necessary for everyone you work with? Probably not.
But for those tough-to-hear-back-from folks, this should increase your chances of success and help you hold on to your sanity.
Anything I missed that works well for you?