[jollybean]

"If you dump clueless suits with expensive gear and hackers in the same environment the outcome is somewhat predictable"

This is essentially bigotry, endemic among arrogant groups of people with limited social skills, narrow understanding (and therefore respect for) subjects beyond their purview, but who might have developed some strength of understanding in their niche.

"What point is there to have a salesperson there who does not understand what they are selling?"

It's ridiculous to assume that a salesperson might have to have the same level of knowledge that an Engineer may have, and betrays a total lack of understanding of how organizations work, levels of expertise required.

Imagine if Engineers were required to have the knowledge and skills to have to actually 'sell' the devices they make, after all, why shouldn't they be expected to know how to 'have a conversation' and 'collect money'? My god.

[jacquesm]

That's a pretty high horse you're on. Again, I've been in the salesperson's position, and it would have gotten no more than a laugh and a powercycle out of me, and probably a conversation with where he found out so much about a system that I was supposed to know like the back of my hand.

You don't demonstrate spectrum analyzers, especially programmable ones if you don't know how to use them in anger.

I went to a music fair a while ago (ok, a long while ago meanwhile) to watch some gear demonstrated, the people manning the booths were musicians, and they were competent. That's the sort of interaction you strive for when you pick the people to run a booth at a tradeshow.

Otherwise the answer to every question about the device is going to end up with 'I don't know'. And that's potentially a lost sale right there.