From Email Chaos to Chatbot Calm: How I Boosted My Productivity as a Product Manager

Ever feel like your inbox is a bottomless pit, swallowing your time and sanity whole? As a product manager supporting over 170 field teams across 18 states, that was my daily reality. My email overflowed with questions from our 20,000 seasonal farmers, each with their unique needs. It felt impossible to keep up, let alone focus on strategic product development. But then, I discovered the power of chatbots…

The Challenge: Drowning in a Sea of Emails

Imagine this: Hundreds of emails flood your inbox daily, each containing a question you’ve likely answered countless times before. This was the norm for me. Field teams needed clarification on product features, troubleshooting steps, or simply updates on order statuses. While each question was valid, responding to them individually became a massive time drain, hindering my ability to focus on bigger-picture product initiatives.

Why a Chatbot Was the Answer:

After a proof-of-concept with JotForm, I knew I needed a more scalable solution. The key was to prioritize user experience and develop a chatbot that effectively addressed these pain points:

• Faster Query Resolution: Field teams should be able to find answers to their most frequent questions quickly and efficiently, without waiting for email replies.
• Centralized Information Access: The chatbot should act as a central hub for product knowledge, readily providing access to user manuals, FAQs, and other relevant resources.
• Team Empowerment: By equipping field teams with the ability to access information independently, the chatbot would free up valuable time for our team to focus on more complex issues and farmer support.

Finding the Perfect Chatbot: A User-Centric Approach

Simplicity and user experience were paramount. Here’s how I chose the right chatbot platform:

• No-Code Platforms: My coding days are behind me, so I prioritized user-friendly platforms that didn’t require extensive technical knowledge.
• User Input and Feedback: I actively solicited feedback from field teams, and my core users, to determine their preferred interaction style (conversational or clickable).
• Free Trial Options: Given the initial nature of the project, exploring platforms with free trials or freemium options was crucial.

Conditions that I ended up creating and this is just for 1 topic :(

How did I find the one?

Well let’s ask ChatGPT/Bard. Here’s my prompt

You’re a super duper expert chatbot finder who helps newbies like me find the right chatbot I need.

Your task: Based on the latest data about the AI chatbot tools out there, I need your help with finding a chatbot for my app.

Here’s my requirement: I have a huge document that contains the details about my app. So whenever a user/customer asks for anything, the AI chatbot should read through the document and address the question, if it can find the relevant answer to it. Should be easy to integrate into my app without too much coding. Please note that I do not have any tech experience and haven’t written any piece of code. Please don’t hallucinate. Get me the results that are based on real chatbots out there. It should be completely free for atleast 1 project. Forever.

Based on my above requirements, I would like you to suggest the chatbot that I can use. Please feel free to ask any follow-up questions that will help you come up with a better answer.

In comes the Lyro Chatbot. This is not a product recommendation. I found the ones I needed based on my requirements and usage patterns. Any of it’s free for one project :)

Building and Refining the Chatbot: A Collaborative Effort

Now the question arises, which approach to take? Should it be a conversational one? Or a clickable one. Confused? Check 👇

Example explaining the difference

With the platform chosen, it was time to define the chatbot’s features:

• Conversational or Clickable: Based on user feedback, we opted for a clickable format that offered clear and easy navigation.
• Integration with Existing Systems: Seamless integration with our existing CRM and product knowledge base ensured the chatbot could access and provide accurate information.
• Continuous Improvement: Regular feedback loops with field teams allowed us to identify “missed” responses and update FAQs with relevant questions.

The Results: A Restored Inbox and a More Efficient Team

The impact of the chatbot has been transformative. Email inquiries have significantly decreased, freeing up valuable time for both myself and the product team. Field teams now have 24/7 access to product information, empowering them to support farmers more efficiently.

Looking Ahead: Training and Measuring Success

This is just the beginning of our chatbot journey. We’re working on:

• Data Source Updates: Continuously adding new information and custom questions to ensure the chatbot provides the most relevant answers.
• Workflow Automation: Implementing workflows with actions and triggers to streamline processes further.
• User Training: Creating video tutorials and review meetings to educate users on effectively utilizing the chatbot’s functionalities.

Part 2: A Promise for the Future

Stay tuned for Part 2 where we’ll delve deeper into the technical aspects of training Lyro and measuring its impact on our team’s success.

Conclusion:

By leveraging chatbot technology, I was able to transform my inbox from a source of stress into a streamlined communication channel. The newfound efficiency allows me to refocus on strategic product development while empowering my team to provide even better support to our farmers.

Call to Action:

Have you implemented chatbots in your product management workflow? Share your experiences in the comments below!