Salesperson? Marketer? Find a Technology Partner.

We live in a world increasingly dominated by technology. It seems like every part of our lives touches the digital world in some way. From our computers at work, to our smartphones on the way to work, to our connected homes and our Wi-Fi TVs—everything is driven by technology. So it’s no surprise that so much of the economy is also driven by technology. They say the best and brightest new grads are flocking to tech startups. And even artists who still relish the physical touch of art need technology to get their message out there.

So how do we keep up? Well, if you’re a techie yourself, it’s easy, because it’s part of who you are. But what if you’re not technologically inclined? What if you’re someone who’s more comfortable using the soft-skill side of the brain?

For me, the answer was to find a technology partner.

When I say partner, I don’t mean a partner in the official or legal sense. I mean a friendly partnership. It has to be mutually beneficial, with feedback flowing both ways. I offer sales and marketing consulting, so my technology partner is someone who’s focused on tech in the web space. Since he knows my business, he shares developments that he thinks my clients can benefit from. And when I pitch a new technology to a client, I’m very inclined to give him my business as a subcontractor if I make a sale. If I don’t make the sell, I tell him why the client didn’t bite, so he learns. It’s a nice, win-win situation where we both learn what clients actually value.

What I love about this kind of arrangement is that it frees me up to focus on what I do best, instead of getting bogged down by stuff that can quickly get me out of my depth. Going in too deep is an easy trap to fall into: because information is so easy to come by, and technology is so relatively inexpensive, it’s tempting to try and do everything yourself. But you can’t be an expert at everything. Getting inundated with possibility is easy… as is becoming a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.

So I prefer to try and master my little niche as best I can… and work with someone else who has mastered another. My technology partner and I have a nice thing going. Win-win. As all true partnerships should be.