technical work vs. marketing / sales work...no tolerance

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whatamess
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10 Apr 2008, 8:24 am

My husband works in sales. I love him dearly and he is just awesome in sales.

However, I work in a more technical field (system's analyst) and have to work with marketing and sales people who talk in meetings and on conference calls just to hear themselves talk. It seems that I have less and less tolerance to work with people who say the same thing over and over and over and over, even though they have no clue what I'm talking about, they have no clue about the new products, they have no clue about even the products they should be selling, etc...

Everyday I have less tolerance, and less tolerance, and less tolerance...

Who works in sales/marketing here? Anyone? Is it only me having issues with these type of people? Mind you, I'm pretty high functioning AS and actually worked in marketing for a long time, yet I understood both the technical and sales/marketing view and therefore, didn't just talk to talk...

Also, it makes me very angry that they complain so much about my "manners", ie. when they say this is white and I say, no, sorry, that's black (and it truly is black) because they see anything that you say against their stupidity as being offensive.



Willard
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10 Apr 2008, 10:57 am

:? I completely understand your frustration with salesfolk. They are indeed a whole different breed of human. I spent 30 years in radio and television broadcasting on the local level and it always astounded me that as hard as i worked to craft a solid, professional, creative and marketable product aimed often at specific demographics, the very people whose job it was to hit the street and sell this product had no clue what they were pitching and didn't care to learn. They would cheapen the product by virtually giving it away, because they couldn't competently explain to the client why it was worth the original rate. This also did a disservice to the client who rarely got their money's worth out of the airtime they were paying for, because the salesperson supposedly representing their interests had no skills or knowledge in how best to market them. They would come to the creative talent with the most peurile, asinine ideas, and because they had the backing of the Sales Manager, whose sole concern was making his short-term quota, not building sucessful campaigns and a reputation for the long term, the dumb ideas got pushed through. And if you expressed frustration or intolerance over the short-sightedness of this situation? Suffuce to say, I changed jobs a lot.



Lightning88
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10 Apr 2008, 11:01 am

I'm actually considering going into marketing for a living (I'm great with people as well as sales). And I know that two of my neighbors actually have degrees in marketing. It must be paying pretty well for them to be living here!



skeeterhawk
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10 Apr 2008, 11:09 am

I am not in sales and don't have to work directly with sales and marketing folks. However, even with the limited contact that I am under, I strongly recognize what you describe. I can't help but feel impatient when the realities of the physical world (like demographics or software features) are completely ignored only to be replaced by empty blather (at least that is my perception of what is said). I am assured that there is all sorts of interpersonal & social stuff going on which I am prepared to accept on faith. My gripe is not that there is stuff happening that I am blind to but that the PHYSICAL REALITY IS IGNORED/DROPPED. It will never be completely OK to experience this sort of event where an opportunity is totally missed.

Then, as you mention, to be told that my manners are less than what is expected when I point out the physical reality, event extremely gently, is the bitter icing on the cake.

I have no solution. I work to accept this issue the same way I accept death and taxes.



Griff7272
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10 Apr 2008, 11:32 am

Willard wrote:
:? I completely understand your frustration with salesfolk. They are indeed a whole different breed of human. I spent 30 years in radio and television broadcasting on the local level and it always astounded me that as hard as i worked to craft a solid, professional, creative and marketable product aimed often at specific demographics, the very people whose job it was to hit the street and sell this product had no clue what they were pitching and didn't care to learn. They would cheapen the product by virtually giving it away, because they couldn't competently explain to the client why it was worth the original rate. This also did a disservice to the client who rarely got their money's worth out of the airtime they were paying for, because the salesperson supposedly representing their interests had no skills or knowledge in how best to market them. They would come to the creative talent with the most peurile, asinine ideas, and because they had the backing of the Sales Manager, whose sole concern was making his short-term quota, not building sucessful campaigns and a reputation for the long term, the dumb ideas got pushed through. And if you expressed frustration or intolerance over the short-sightedness of this situation? Suffuce to say, I changed jobs a lot.


You just summed up advertising in general. I currently work as a print ad designer and deal with the same issues on a daily basis.