Closing the Gap Between Information Technology professionals and Sales Pros

IT’s Impossible. Never before have I seen such friction and misunderstandings in the communications between two departments…

The sales person over promises.

Yells at the technology person to cough up the work and to hurry up.

The technology person explains how much work that is, how complicated it is and asks what is the priority.

The sales person says: DON”T GIVE ME DETAILS.. DON’T COMPLAIN.. just do the work.

The sales person complains about the IT person.

The IT person has a breakdown.. And calls Me.

I have to explain to the IT person how NOT to get TOO detailed. I explain how the sales person can be pushy, and barge in and expect the world to stop because he/she has a client or a sale or an emergency, and that the sales person does NOT want to know everything the techie has to do to get the job done.

Just tell the sales person the date of expected arrival or when the problem will be fixed completely.

Let the sales person call and talk to the voice mail or send an email.

Don’t’ drop everything the second the sales person calls. Handle several of the calls together to save time.

I then talk with the sales person. I explain that the techie is handling thousands of things. I explain that the techie isn’t able to handle so many requests out of turn. The sales person must weigh the importance of each call, and preferably lump the questions together in order of priority.

After calming both sides down, there is usually an agreement to talk things out. Both parties have to listen without jumping in and getting frustrated.

I’ve had two identical situations occur this week. Two separate clients. Same situation. Techie upset that he doesn’t get the level of respect he deserves. The sales pro is upset at the slow turn around time of the techie.

I am so glad I understand this. I’m a sales person and think in big picture and my husband is a techie so I know how to talk with him and have educated him on how to talk with me.
At one point, I told him to get some new friends because I couldn’t be his “technical soulmate” too. He understood this and now he has an employee who he enjoys talking technical stuff with.

I’m glad. It stretches my brain in ways that I don’t enjoy. It stresses me out. It causes me to have friction within the conversation. Oh no, we are right back where we started!