Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site unc.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!mcnc!unc!fsks From: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Newsgroups: net.singles,net.social Subject: Re: Salemanship Message-ID: <442@unc.UUCP> Date: Thu, 13-Jun-85 21:59:59 EDT Article-I.D.: unc.442 Posted: Thu Jun 13 21:59:59 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 18-Jun-85 02:39:06 EDT References: <968@peora.UUCP> <1424@mtx5b.UUCP> <344@unc.UUCP> <396@unc.UUCP> Reply-To: fsks@unc.UUCP (Frank Silbermann) Organization: CS Dept., U. of N. Carolina at Chapel Hill Lines: 37 Xref: linus net.singles:6371 net.social:643 Summary: In article jer@peora.UUCP (J. Eric Roskos) writes: (heavily edited) >[The referenced article comments on my suggesting that people nowadays are >too much salesmen.] > >If someone comes to me, filled with salesmanship, tells me he's a great >person, has written compilers and designed an operating system and you name >it, and then I ask him a simple technical question and he can't answer it >(but he can make some really impressive explanations of why he can't!), >what am I to think? > >One of the big problems is the people are always trying to find out what >employers want. Well, employers want people who do a good job at their work. > >It's just this "magic formula" approach to life that's the problem again. >If you want to do well at something, well, then, you have to work at it; there >is not a magic formula that will make it work for you. > >I imagine good salesmanship would be very desirable in the SALES dept., >don't you? I think we agree 100% on the facts, but disagree on which ones to emphasize. Obviously, salemanship without technical competence in a technical job is useless. But my point is that it is much better to have both, than technical competence alone. It doesn't matter how good your ideas are if nobody will listen or accept them. It takes salesmanship to convince others to accept your ideas. This ability can make the difference between outstanding career success versus rotting in a dead-end position. I have seen too many top notch techies who couldn't sell themselves, who were thus not only unappreciated and underpaid by their managers, but under-utilized by their companies. Frank Silbermann