They ll go after single opportunities without considering them in the context of the overall marketplace. And if the CEO is a finance type, it could go either way. Again, it depends on how they honestly feel about customers. I find that if the company has several factions battling for dominance, credit, or recognition, the marketing effort will be weak or completely unsuccessful. Employees will be so busy trying to survive the company s soap-opera culture that they won t be able to focus on helping customers.
Arrogance is one of the most common problems in all high-tech companies.
It is the antithesis of empathy, a core requirement for marketing success. Not your truth, or their truth, but your customers truth. You can spot these guys because they have one or two themes, usually an analogy of some sort, that they have become famous for. Instead, they should have enough hands-on experience to recommend the best solution for your specific situation, not the only solution that they know. If they are arrogant, find someone else to work with.