Saturday, September 21, 2013

The Greatest Difference Between Sales and Marketing

By Daniel Carlson


Marketing and sales are 2 of the most important elements of a business ' survival. While both are dependent on each other many individuals confuse marketing with sales and vice-versa which is a big error. Marketing involves planning a product according to the requirements of the market and shoppers, promoting the product through advertising and so on. And setting up a keen price for the product. Marketing is a platform which drives sales. While on the other hand the sales process is what you do to successfully sell a product and close a contract. Sales and marketing together is part of selling and one can't do without the other. They can also be called activities. The success of a business is critical to the success of these 2 vital activities.

Marketing is the backbone of a firm's future and launching pad for the sales. While the marketing process encompasses the planning of the product, advertising etc. The sales process is the execution of all of the efforts which involves direct interactions with client either by in-person meeting or cold calls or by networking. There is however always a continuing rivalry between the two, one claiming dominancy over other. The marketing folks say they've an higher hand because they think it is they who designs the products, lays down the technique and also develops tools essential for sales. They assert sales are the result of marketing and therefore should follow its directions. The sales folks may disagree to this view and can be completely opposite in their standpoint. They suspect it is the sales folks who really sells a product and bring money to the business.

But many specialists believe that marketing should play a pivotal role among the two. A successful marketing campaign makes sales straightforward and makes people believe that it's essentially the sales individuals who are the dominant leaders. The most vital role of marketing department is to create opportunities for the sales department. Marketing drives sales and sales drives corporations ' success. Marketing is a life support for sales, one who is constantly backing up the sales department and enabling them to successfully deliver the final product. There should not be a race to gain supremacy over another department but a race to win the market and clients working together.

Many businesses combine sales and marketing together but in reality they have different targets. While the sales dept is interested in satisfying the prerequisites of what the shopper asked for, the marketing department is basically busy studying what the market demands. The aim of the marketing office is to foretell how the market will shape up in future. They ought to foresee their product catering to the requirements of the market for next couple of years and be ready to make design changes in their product accordingly.

It is extremely important that a company integrates their sales and marketing department in a well fashioned demeanour. It's the correct integration of these two significant entities that fuels the growth of a company. The sale people should not be simply treated as the cash collectors. Each department has its own role and should really go together in selling the product of the company and should be the premier critical standards.




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