IT Professionals and Marketers Don’t Mix

It occurred to me the other day that there is a reason that IT Professionals and Marketers don’t mix well and I thought I’d share my observation.

Dr. Hale as an IT Professional

Venn-Diagram – IT Professionals and Marketers Overlap

Let me start by saying I was an IT Professional for over 40 years.  I wrote my first computer program in 1967, so I’ve worked with computers since before there were even microcomputers (which is what Personal Computers were called in the beginning.)  I worked many sides of that industry from Computing Support at a major University to managing Software Development teams in small and large business. I was a private consultant, a system analyst, network administrator, database administrator, security adviser, disaster recovery specialist and more.  The point I’m trying to make is that I walked in a lot of different shoes in the IT side of the house.  There is more of my background in the About Hale page.

Dr. Hale as a Marketer

About four years  ago I became interested (again) in Network Marketing.   I found a company with a compensation plan that almost forces business partners to support each other.  So I dove in head first.  After a few years of working the belly to belly, call your friends, 3-foot rule systems, I decided that I needed to use my computer skills and go online to find qualified leads..  It didn’t take long to run into Attraction Marketing – the prospects find you.  This was for me.  Finding leads online didn’t turn out to be a cake walk either.

IT Professionals and Marketers – There is Very Little Overlap

It has taken two years and a lot of training, but I finally realized that my computer background is a detriment to my online marketing.   If you look at the diagram above, the green area is the only place that IT Professionals and Marketers have in common.  Let’s look:

• IT Professionals are interested in the computer system and the network.  Their sphere of interest basically stops at the Human Interface (hand and eye connection with the screen.)  IT Professionals are interested in “Why people don’t want to use their system,” but don’t spend much time looking at the motivation behind using the system.  It is usually assumed that people want to keep their jobs or do their job better and the computer system will help them.  End of Story.
• Marketers are interested in understanding the person and what motivates them.  Their interest stops at the Human Interface with the computer system.  They don’t care how it works as long as it is easy to use and reliable.
• This leaves the Human Interface with the computer system as the ONLY PLACE IT Professionals and Marketers have in common.

TWO FUNDAMENTALLY DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW.

The IT Professionals focus is to “help people do what they want to do.”

Marketer’s focus is to “help people see that they should to do what I want them to do.”

IT Professional Background Is Virtually Useless to a Marketer

I mistakenly assumed that my computer related background would help me become a marketer.  The further I went into my training, the more I realized that my computer background was irrelevant to my becoming a successful marketer.  Sure I can set up a blog in minutes and I can usually debug problems fairly quickly.  That doesn’t help me at all in working to motivate people to buy my product as I set up a successful marketing funnel, create an irresistible offer, build a highly converting squeeze page and write compelling copy.  All of this requires knowledge about getting inside the head of the customer/lead and was largely ignored when I was strictly an IT Professional.

The Bottom line is simple.

IT Professionals and Marketers live in different and largely Unconnected Worlds.

My journey to becoming a successful marketer was longer than most people with no experience.  They have less to unlearn.

Until next time, you have a Great Day!

↓ ↓ If this post gave you some ideas – Go ahead & comment below.  ↓ ↓

Hale Pringle Ed. D.

Hale Pringle – Hale Yes!

Skype hale.pringle

Email: HaleYes@HalePringle.com

P.S. If you are working to move your business online and it all seems overwhelming, I can help!  Take a look at http://HalePringle.com, or sign up for the free coaching call. You can email me or give me a Skype call. I’ll give you the benefit of my years of experience and many thousands of dollars in training and searching the rabbit hole called Internet Marketing and Network Marketing. I can help you with Lead Generation, the feeling of overwhelm, blogging, and even career change. Add that to the finest mentoring on the Internet (Ann Sieg’s Team and Inner Circle) and you have a Winner!