Some of us technical people like to be client-facing. The key is to make room for us to do that. Let us handle the client/user and then take meetings with us so we can filter what's appropriate to you.
The biggest problem with "technical people" is the desire to retreat to a pair of headphones and not communicate with anyone all day. Set aside some consistent portion of your day where that's the only time you'll take meetings and we'll work around your schedule.
I agree. I enjoy speaking to prospects and clients, but I know not everyone feels the same way. I would say instead of letting technical people handle the client/user, it should be done in a collaborative way. Filtering shouldn't be necessary as that has the potential of keeping possible problems/solutions in the dark.
Technical and nontechnical people should collaborate face-to-face on a daily basis. That includes customer interactions.
The biggest problem with "technical people" is the desire to retreat to a pair of headphones and not communicate with anyone all day. Set aside some consistent portion of your day where that's the only time you'll take meetings and we'll work around your schedule.