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Marketing vs. Sales

By: Teri Samuels, Fri Dec 9th, 2005 04:59:23 PM

Marketing vs. Sales What's the Difference

Marketing and sales co-exist and work in tandem beautifully if they are allowed to remain as separate entities coming together to achieve results:

DRIVING REVENUE!!

Marketing=SIZZLE Sales = CLOSING

The misunderstanding that marketing and sales are the same causes a downward spiral of events. Sales staff and managers become frustrated, productivity drops, turnover is high, and company image suffers. This "cycle of misunderstanding" perpetuates itself over and over again resulting in lost revenue.

STOP THE CYCLE OF MISUNDERSTANDING!

HOW?

1)Understand that there is a difference between marketing and sales.

What's The Difference?

Marketing is associated with advertising, event planning, community involvement, getting your company name "out there", creating credibility, normally a "people pleaser" personality, with the primary focus on lead generation.

Sales is associated with knowledge and understanding of the value of a lead, understanding the "selling cycle", a well documented sales process (and knowing how to use it), great qualifying questions, developing an atmosphere of trust with customers, listening more than talking, asking for the sale or the next step, great follow-up skills.

The actual skill sets (not personalities) for each of these areas of expertise is different. Most companies evaluate potential sales staff on personalities NOT skills. A critical component in the hiring process should include a skill based evaluation.

2)When recruiting, define well in advance what position you are hiring for - sales or marketing? Most companies' need both as a team working together.

3)Eliminate untrained or unskilled staff from being involved in the recruitment process. The misconception about sales and marketing being one and the same runs rampant in all industries in all staff involved in the hiring process.

Solutions:

1)Develop a company profile to differentiate skill sets.

2)Create a list of key questions designed to delineate the difference in skill sets of the sales person vs. the marketing person.

3)Provide appropriate training to anyone involved in the hiring process to help them understand the differences to assure you are hiring the right person for the right position.

About the author: Teri Samuels, CEO - United Sales Training (http://www.unitedsalestraining.com), 20 years as a Professional Sales and Marketing Troubleshooter, Trainer, Recruiter, Upper Level Manager, and Consulting Professional. Dedicated to the "keep it simple" approach.

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