From: mtxinu!sybase!tim@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (Tim Wood)
Subject: Re: JOBS: Salaries...
Date: 9 Nov 92 22:23:24 GMT
Organization: Sybase, Inc.



In article <1992Oct13.045324.21462@u.washington.edu> CURTISJ@ruakura.cri.nz (John Curtis, Hort+Research CRI, Hamilton, NZ) writes:
>
>One of my major gripes with the "marketplace" is programmers receiving (as was
>previously stated): 
>
>>>REAL WORLD SALARIES:
>>>Software Engineers/Programmers:    30K - 75K
>>>Systems/Network Engineers:         30K - 55K
>
>when salespeople are getting easily up to three times that amount simply 
>because they are the ones directly generating cash.

Really.  Some nerve.  What's money when you're trying to run a business
anyway?

>In my experience many of 
>these salespeople fail to keep up with the play.  When entering the business 
>they may have known all the technology inside out, but quickly become puppets 
>of their parent companies and cease to recommend solutions to their clients 
>that incorporate new technologies.
>
>I can sense myself getting into trouble here, as this is a broad generalisation
>but nevertheless one I find to be predominantly true.  (Can you tell I'm a 
>programmer?)

At least you recognize the narrowness of your viewpoint.  VR will continue
to be a research toy (just like relational databases were :) until there
exist capable business entities with depth of ability in all the major
business areas: R&D, marketing, sales, operations, finance, customer service,
etc.  As for educating salespeople, an enlightened company will view that
as a necessary investment in selling effectiveness.  Cost of sales is
a big item; anything that increases return on that cost bears looking at.
Companies that don't address customer needs whether or not they have a
current product which answers that need lose sight of the whole point,
which is to attract and retain customers, not move whatever's on the price
list.
Thanks,
-Tim






--
Tim Wood / Sybase, Inc. / 1650 65th St. / Emeryville, CA / 94608  510-596-3500
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