8Minute Talk show — Seyran Mehrnia Category Development Manager at Kalleh

Mansour Kiarash: Hi, we are beside you with another strategy 8-minute talk show.

Today Seyran Mehrnia, the Category Development Manager at Kalleh, is our guest.

Hi, Ms. Mehrnia.

Seyran Mehrnia: Hello Mr. Kiarash thanks for your invitation.

Mansour Kiarash: Would you introduce yourself, please?

Seyran Mehrnia: I obtained a mathematics bachelor’s degree and a Marketing master’s degree at university, and I have been working in FMCG and hygienic products. I work with Solico company in the FMCG field, Arian Kimia Tec in the hygienic field, Modiseh and Debenhams in the Fashion industry.

Mansour Kiarash: What does a product manager do?

Seyran Mehrnia: A product manager should manage the product from the beginning, From idea to construction, until the delivery to help the company reach the efficiency.

Mansour Kiarash: Which fields are involved with this job position?

Seyran Mehrnia: A product manager should interact with other parts, because as I told you product manager should manage the product from the first step. Then the product should be packaged by the product designer, and after all, you should launch the product and start marketing activities for that with the help of the marketing and digital marketing field. So, a product manager interacts with marketing and manufacturing.

Mansour Kiarash: Is product management hard for a new product or an old product?

Seyran Mehrnia: When we produce a new product, we should do some market research to gain some information about the market size to reach the competitors. When a product is launched and is improving, we should search for the market’s feedback about it.

Mansour Kiarash: How do you take risks as a product manager?

Seyran Mehrnia: This job position is full of risks because many internal and external situations affect it. For example, there might be new orders from C levels like CEOs or investors. there might be some external causes like strategic decisions that you make in the situations that you face limits, such as new rules in the government, as well. Like, Modiseh online shop sells importable clothes and in June 2018 then the government prohibited imports. So, we decided to compensate the sales contribution with other things. Therefore we expanded our category on the site that are related to Digital accessories and home appliances.

Mansour Kiarash: What are the main characteristics of a product manager?

Seyran Mehrnia: A product manager should have general information about every department to cooperate better with them. For example, she should know the 4th color if she is cooperating with the design part, or know about ATL, BTL if she is cooperating with the Marketing department. furthermore, she should be an extrovert to cooperate better with them.

Mansour Kiarash: What study resources do you introduce to our audiences?

Seyran Mehrnia: I introduce “The Art of Thinking Clearly” by Rolf Dobelli, which helps us decide and think better in our lives. Because our decisions are forming our lives, and the result of them is in the present time.

Mansour Kiarash: What should a product manager do to stay at high levels?

Seyran Mehrnia: The product managers should cooperate with every department in the organization because the salespersons are positioning the product. For example, the salesperson plays an important role in the FMCG field. So, we should tell them that what they do is important.

Mansour Kiarash: Who do you invite to this talk show?

Seyran Mehrnia: As you have invited managers in all fields, I invite Mahdi Behzad, the General Manager at Shaparak School, who is a successful manager in the consulting field.

Mansour Kiarash: Thanks for accepting my invitation. We talked to a successful manager, and we will talk to others, too.