Aug 27 2007
The Salesmen vs. the Geeks Round 1 (Marketers vs. Technologists)
Let’s say you’re looking for online marketing expert to push your business to the next level. You have limited resources and can only fill one position for the time being. Who should you hire, a marketer or a technologist? Though it’s possible to find a person who can perform both, I doubt you will ever find one. I started my career as writer and art director and honestly believe that I excelled at both. Yet I only met one person in my lifetime that could do the same. Even for those exceptions that can do both, they are not at the very top of their field because their demands become too scattered.
I’d love to get your response to my reasoning behind this hypothesis: Online marketers have a fundamental interest in selling and view technology as a tool for accomplishing marketing goals. Internet technologists have a fundamental interest in technology and view marketing as a means to exercise technology. I realize there’s some gray areas but I think I’ve hit the nail right on the head.
I’m ranting on this subject because I see postings for online marketing positions that require a long list of programming skills and the solicitations for preposterous online marketing tools that I would never consider because they can’t provide a reasonable argument for their value. If you know of a blog that compiles a list silly online marketing tools I would love to join in.
So here’s the result of Round 1… the fight is ended by TKO. Hire the salesman and outsource the geek. By the way, I love geeks.
3 responses so far
Hi Tom –
Good to see you blogging!
I’d vote “the marketing analyst” over the “technologist”.
Besides, not to be ageist, but if the person is under say 25, they’ll absorb the tech so fast it will make our heads spin.
CHeers –
Alan
Probably going to pick the marketer. Can’t we have a bigger budget?
Anyway, like you said – it’s a rare breed that someone has the skillset of both.
A perfect exmple being designer and developer.
One skillset is typically stronger. Kinda rare that both are top shelf.
As I posted in another blog some time ago, a good e-marketing specialist must have knowledge about HTML, XHTML, writing, marketing, sociology, psychology, leadership, motivation, networking and public relations. If he lacks one of these, he will be incomplete.
My 0.02