The last mile: the technology manager as innovation salesperson

The management of technology requires innovation, not only in terms of technology, but also in terms of fostering change. The role of the technology leader is to be entrepreneurial, to have a vision, to think like an executive and to sell change to the organization. The technology leader must understand not only the culture of their organization, but also the social styles of the decision makers and influencers who are needed to implement change. Technology managers must possess the technical skills, passion and courage to make a difference by leading others. Effective internal selling in technology management can make the difference between futile activity and market leadership. The use of effective internal selling in technology management may just be the key to changing the basis of competition in an industry. Effective technology leaders must employ the principles of relationship selling and demonstrate the ability to make effective presentations. They must learn the real needs of their internal and external customers, and make their case in terms of advantages and benefits to these customers. In our telecommunications and power systems, a critical link is "the last mile" to the user. No matter how strong the total infrastructure, unless delivered "the last mile" to the customer, it has little value. Same with technical ideas-they must be delivered "the last mile." This paper puts the concepts of selling innovation in the context of the role of the technology manager.