Since I first started working in the wireless industry in 1990, there is one question that I have been asked more than any other.  It's come up at birthday parties, holidays, family reunions.  I've heard it from my mom, my friends, my siblings--even people I've met on the train.

"Can you get me a deal on a phone?"

I have developed an assortment of ways over the years to explain that no, that's not really the part of the business I am in.  Most people would be disappointed at first  and then their eyes would kind of glaze over while I tried to explain about selling optimization test tools and planning software to the operators of cellular systems.  (I see you glazing over right now....)  The arrival of Verizon's "Can You Hear Me Now?" Guy was a blessing.  Suddenly, I could just say "You know that guy?  We make the stuff companies actually use for that".  People could grok that and everyone  was happy.  Except my sister, who still thinks I just don't want to get her a deal on a phone.

Once I started telling people I was going into the consulting business, the new question I have started getting is "What the heck is a SalesGeek?".   I suspect it's going to take some time for me to find the "You know that guy?" answer.  For now, let me say that I wanted a name that represented me, the work I have done in the past and the direction I plan to go in the future.  For 19 years I have had a great career in the wireless industry.  I've enjoyed selling products used throughout the industry.  I've loved working with so many interesting clients and having the opportunity to make sure they were also satisfied clients.  I can not get enough of account planning or product roadmaps or accepting ridiculous quotas--and beating them. I have (don't glaze over, we're almost done) been fascinated by competitive research and by trying to guess what would be the next big thing customers would need.

At the same time, I have maintained a lifelong taste for things of a decidely more geeky persuasion.  Dungeons and Dragons.  Comic books.  Weird Al Yankovic.  Star Wars.  Just about any book with an elf or dwarf in it.  Star Trek.  A long list of video game consoles.  Renaissance Fairs.  And these passions have been a significant influence on my professional life.  Cleaning crews forced to dust around a window sill and filing cabinet covering action figure homage to The Simpsons in my office will confirm this.  The Sales and the Geek have always been right there together.

SalesGeek.

It's not the simple answer that makes you go Ohhhhh yet. It'll get there.  That's what this blog is all about.  How the Sales and the Geek fit together.  Coming up, I'm going to discuss selecting the right compensation model for your sales team.  I'm also currently enjoying the beta for the upcoming Dungeons and Dragons Unlimited.  To me it's the same topic--you can only win if everyone in the party knows that they will get a fair share of the loot.