Recently I was asked a very interesting question. It went something like this...is there a difference between sales and maketing, and which one feeds the other?
Great question! You could argue this question is much like asking, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?"
I've learned over the years that everything you do is marketing. Whether you're at work, or just buying groceries, I firml;y believe that you are marketing yourself in both situations. And, in a sense, it could be argued that you are selling yourself at the same time, in almost all situations.
Looking at the definition of marketing shed light on my point as well. On dictionary.com, marketing is defined as:
- The act of buying or selling in a market.
- The total of activities involved in the transfer of goods from the producer or seller to the customer or buyer, including advertising, shipping, storing and selling.
You can have an effective sales department without the support of marketing, but I believe that is difficult. To effectively sell, an organization should develop a marketing plan, detailing who, what, when, where and how your sales team will take products to the market. It should also outline goals, then provide details on how the team will report to the stated goal.
So, my answer to the question would be yes, there is a difference in that a sales team sells a product or service to clients or potential clients. Marketing does involve other duties other than sales, in some cases. However, overall, sales and marketing should work hand-in-hand, with effective communication lines between the two.
Think about it next time you have a meeting at work, or you bump into an old co-worker at the store...how are you communicating? Are you marketing/selling in each circumstance? I bet you'll find you are, and it is always a great way to effectively communicate if you understand how and why you communicate in a marketing and sales approach.
