Being Smart is not Good Enough—You Need Customers

All discussions of marketing and sales for technical professional services are grounded in the basics of business, and an understanding of customers:

• What is the one thing all businesses need to survive? There are a lot of responses to this simple question. You might think a business plan is essential, or people, or capital, a great idea, technology, or even hard work. While all are important, we contend that some businesses can survive, even be successful, while missing one or more of these ingredients. But the one thing a business cannot do without is customers.
• Customers want both your book-based knowledge and your practical experienced-based wisdom. Once you have a customer, it is important to appreciate the convergence of both your academic knowledge and creative thinking. Customers buy both. “Industry standards” are important in knowing the “right way” to approach a challenge (risk management depends on this line of thinking). But the role of innovation of standard procedures, especially as part of the sales process, becomes critical to competitive differentiation. And differentiation is how you attract customers.
• Being smart is not good enough. There is a lot more to knowing how to “run a business” than being in command of the technical aspects. But if you don’t know how to convince customers to give you work, it will be difficult for you to be successful. Fear not, it is perfectly all right for you to “stay technical” and avoid the business aspects. Remember, customers desire your technical expertise. But we have found that the most successful individuals combine outstanding technical skills with above-average sales skills. Our preference would be to tip the balance more toward sales savvy, than an over abundance of academic knowledge.