Steve Johnson on technology

Does sales really “own” the customer relationship? — On Product Management

I hear this all the time: “Sales owns the customer relationship.”

Not true, folks. If it is true at your company, you’ve got a problem.

Ask any buyer. They don't want a relationship with your sales person; they want a relationship with your product. And they typically want an on-going, long-term relationship. 

Let's take it a tad further. Businesses don't buy products; people do. Your product marketing and sales efforts should be about helping people buy products.

I think that's why so many marketing teams are failing with social media. They think people want to be friends with the marketing department. 

For some reason, I applaud Apple's newfound success--David vs Goliath, the phoenix risen from the ashes, validation that great products ultimately succeed against the dreck that we've come to expect from the rest of the industry. I admire Steve Jobs and his role in bringing Apple back from the dead. But I don't "follow" Apple as a brand; I follow Apple as the source for products that I'm likely to like. And buy. 

But maybe you hate Apple. That's okay. To each his/her own.

What brands do you follow on Facebook? On Twitter? Why?

I suspect you want to know more about the product, not the brand, not the company. 

And what do you want to know more about? The sales person? Or the product?