Closing the Deal

Dear Dave
Do you think it is appropriate to assume that non-technical marketing staff can sell engineering work without the direct involvement of technical people in the selling process?
OC TX

Dear OC
No. It might happen from time to time, but in by far the majority of situations, firms do not expect the non-technical marketer to be able to close by themselves. The generally expected role for these folks is to assist and facilitate in the marketing and selling process. At some point before a deal is signed the technical people, who will be doing the actual work on the project, will need to join the selling process to support the non-technical marketers’ activities. The proper role of the marketer is to do the background work, preparation and overall organization to increase the likelihood of a successful sale for the opportunities the firm elects to pursue and to minimize the time involvement of the technical staff.