If you missed it, you don’t need to miss out. Our second ever Women in MarTech Summit focused on technology. Our tech topic shouldn’t come as a surprise, after all you can’t have MarTech without technology. Led by Olivia Johnson, Director of G5 Solutions Engineering, and Kristen Vetter, Manager of G5 Customer Care, these two women made sure empathy met technology in our Top Tech Mistakes webinar. In this recap, you’ll learn about four common technology mistakes, things you should look out for, and how you can navigate around them.

1. Repeating Avoidable Mistakes

The snafu struggle is real. In a Zoom world, we’d all be lying if we said we’d never experienced a tech-related hiccup. I mean, the possibilities are endless: not knowing your mic was on while you were singing along to your playlist…on a company-wide call. Or, accidentally texting the wrong person. Or, thinking LOL meant lots of love instead of laughing out loud, ack, not an appropriate response to a scary diagnosis…and the list goes on. We’re human, so of course we will make mistakes. 

But, repeating mistakes we can avoid, like choosing the wrong technology partners, shouldn’t be on that list. As your Smart and Trusty Guide, we’re here to help you navigate the tech waters safely. 

2. Boxing Out

If you’ve ever played basketball, you know what this is: using everything you have to keep others off your space on the court so you can catch the rebound, and one incremental inch at a time, help your team win. While boxing out on the basketball court is a winning trait, boxing out in the tech world doesn’t make you a great collaborator. 

As a marketer, you want to choose a flexible, innovative technology that will evolve with you and your business goals. At G5, we have over 25 partner integrations (and counting) across senior living, multifamily housing, and self storage industries. And, we support over 114 third-party javascript providers. All of this to say, when your tech partners commit to working well with other tech companies, your options are endless. 

Need a real-life tech example? We’ve got a good one. Have you ever tried to airdrop photos after a long weekend away and not everyone in the group uses an iPhone? Guess what, you can’t. Or, have you ever tried to group text with friends and not everyone is Android or Apple…again, it’s a poor experience. When your tech partners create walls instead of integrations, the end user’s experience suffers and instead of alleviating pain points — it creates them. 

3. Unclear Expectations

Surprise hurdles, like an integration that you thought should be easy (and wasn’t), can be deflating after adopting a new technology. To get ahead of this, select partners who make sure training resources are available, and shared early and often with your team. This goes hand-in-hand with Vetter’s biggest piece of advice which is to, “Invest in a partner who is invested in you.”

Additionally, as Brene Brown says, “Clear is kind.” Hint: Clearly, this doesn’t just apply to personal relationships. Tech partners need to set clear expectations for how long it will take to learn a new product, including what that process looks like and how they will help along the way. If the process isn’t clear, or well supported, it can lead to poor tech adoption, or usage, even if the customer is still experiencing the pain points. 

Want to learn what other tech-related questions to ask when choosing a new technology partner? Download this checklist.

4. Out of Sync

When you don’t jive with your tech partners, you’re missing out on the benefits of a truly best-in-class partnership, which is a mistake. When choosing a partner, it’s smart to dig into what their goals are as a business. If your company cultures are complimentary, and you work to support common goals, then you’re already a step ahead in the partnership synergy department. 

Bottom Line

When you have a teamwork-minded culture, clear goals and expectations, and can learn from those who have snafued before you, you’re ready to form the foundation for a truly best-in-class partnership. Watch the webinar to learn more, and download our G5 MarTech Series: Part 3 for more tech tips.