The Techno-Geek is Talking, But Is Anybody Listening? February 14, 2003 Dave Kamioner Alright, admit it.  If you’re reading this article you either fit the above definition or work with individuals who do.  Which is fine, because people with advanced technical knowledge are the people who are at the heart of this industry. But the rest of us, including most of the folks that are your potential customers, don’t have the wide spectrum of knowledge you do in hosting, web security, etc.  Thus, sometimes, a communication gap develops between the techie and the non IT exec who may be making the buying decision. What to do? Easy.  Find a translator. Either hire or subcontract with a marketing professional to take your ideas and turn them into concepts that most potential customers can understand.  For the worst that could happen is that you go on and on babbling at people that have no bloody idea what you’re talking about. Of course, if you are one of those rare IT types that does not have the interpersonal skills of a rock, then ignore this advice. Yeah, right. C’mon, you know your typical techie office correspondence goes something like this: “Attention Office Workers, please to clean up your personal files off of site.  This is not in acceptance.” And when that is ignored: “Unfriendly Greetings Office Workers, file are NOT in server storage acceptance. This is much disgraceful to company. Please clean up or face consequences!!” And as a last resort: “Achtung! Now YOU are not in at all acceptance! Why do you not be in respective of maximum authority? I do NOT thank you very much.” Made my case?  Thought so.  Where do you find such translators? Well, ad agencies can be pricey and may try to sell you services well past your needs.  Your all around best bet is to run an ad in the local paper, or perhaps the Chamber newsletter, looking for a full/part time Marketing Director. The level of service you need will decide the full/part time question.  But no matter which way you go, DO NOT hire someone who has the same strengths you do.  Why buy more of the same? Find someone from public relations, politics, advertising (in this economy, you’ll find many of these guys starving for any kind of work), whatever, but someone familiar with personally interacting with all types of professionals and willing to learn the vital aspects of your business necessary to sell your product or service. During the interview process will this person seem a bit off the wall, non-conventional, even flippant?  If you’ve got a good potential Marketing type, the answer is a resounding yes. Why? Because this individual hopefully knows, as is the old adage from politics, that it’s sometimes more important to be liked than to be agreed with. Now, this flies in the face of everything you know as an engineer/propeller head and may even make you feel a bit queasy.  As it should.  For your talents likely do not run towards those of a schmoozemeister and their talents are probably not those of a talented techie. But both of you together, operating towards the same goal at maximum potential of talent? That you should make you feel comfortable indeed.