Sales/Marketing/Technical Rant

<rant>

Ok, I just finished helping to write a response to a “Request for Information”. This is a normal part of my job,and I'm happy to do it. (really, Joel, I'm not whining about what I have to do, I'm whining about what others don't have to).

I write software. And I help write proposals and presentations. So I am expected to have technical knowledge, and extend my boundaries into marketing and sales.

The sales and marketing guys, at least the ones I have met and worked with, are expected to have the sales and marketing knowledge. But extend their boundaries into the technical realm?

If I had a nickel for every time a sales/marketing guy said to me “oh, I can't do that part, its too technical, why don't you do it?” I'd be rich.

I'd be happy to help sales/marketing type by answering technical questions, reviewing their writing/content for technical accuracy, and helping to develop technical ideas behind proposals and responses. And leave the sales/marketing/hype writing to the expert BS'ers.  

Perhaps next time I have to contribute to a proposal response, I'll write my first draft with very dry, highly technical language. When they come back to me asking me to soften it up so non-techies will understand, I'll be able to answer “oh, I can't do that part, its too non-technical, why don't you do it?”

</rant>

1 Comment

  • I can completely relate to this post. Until last year, I was working for a consulting company, and I always felt like I was doing more than just the technical parts of my job. I was helping to respond to RFPs, participating in sales meetings, and other non-technical activities. And while I could do those things, and didn't mind doing those things, it bugged me that my job had to be more broad, while others got away with saying &quot;I'm not technical&quot;. Especially since some of these people didn't do their own jobs very well. (Sales, marketing and PMs for example who couldn't spell or write coherent sentences, for example.)



    To solve the problem, I now work as an independent consultant. I still have to do all those non-technical things (in fact, I do more of them), but I am no longer annoyed by dumb excuses by sales/marketing types.

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