Know-How Exchange : Career/Training

Sachin,

From an engineering perspective, Marketing looks like it's just about being able to carrying on interactions with customers and gathering requirements. However, Marketing is a science. The requirements part of which you are familiar is a small part of the marketing process and closely relates to product/service features. Features are the traps that most people land in and get stuck - confusing them with the reason people buy. Marketing starts with understanding customer needs. Customers buy to satisfy needs and products bring benefits (that come about because of features). Further, customers buy much more for emotional benefits versus functional benefits.

Most engineers approach marketing from a perspective of making available to customers all they can do that makes the product/service the most simplistically beautiful it can be. Engineers see problems and work the technology to solve the problems. However, most times, the customers either don't see the problem or have found another acceptable solution to solve that problem. To switch solutions, the customer experiences costs. The benefits of the newer solution does not make up for those costs readily (or they don't realize they have a problem) and the switching rate for the new solution is slow (and bombs). By focusing on the needs of the customer (not the wants) and by understanding their emotional pain, marketing comes up with a solution that satisfies the needs better than the competitive solution, presents the solution in the right words and images so the customer sees how his pain is eliminated (with the help of sales).

So how do you make the leap to marketing? First, read every book on marketing you can get your hands on. Learn the craft and science of marketing. Don't bother with the "pop" marketing books - they are rephrasings of principles that have been around a long time. Start with basics from classic authors like Kotler, Levinson, and Ries and Trout. Take some classes in marketing. If you can get to California, look at the Cal Tech classes - they have great high tech marketing classes. Look into an MBA curriculum. Take a psychology class to learn how people make decisions.

There are other ways to delve into marketing besides what I have prescribed. Some may tell you to get a job in customer service or as a marketing assistant and learn from fire. These folks are correct too. However, the longer route that I have recommended will make you a great marketing person versus just doing the job. I know - I'm an engineer who made the transition.

I hope this helps.

Wayde

Is there a reason that you need to make a dramatic career jump at this time? Would it be possible for you to implement certain marketing tools in your current position?