In the world of business, each department is essential in the effort to grow your brand, connect with customers, and boost sales. Marketing and Sales are two sectors of the business model that are often considered “the same thing.” While they may have similar goals, it’s important to identify their differences, as they perform unique, but vital functions within a business.
Similarities
To understand how Marketing and Sales are different, it’s easier to first understand how they’re the same. First and foremost, they share an ultimate goal- to drive sales. Secondly, both salespeople and marketers are responsible for customer retention (though they approach this goal in different ways). Much of the confusion may stem from the fact that these two departments often work hand in hand, and rely on each other to reach these goals.
How Marketing is Different
Marketing can be defined as “actions a company takes and the messages that they promote with the goal of drawing attention to your business, building brand awareness, establishing product or service quality, and ultimately garnering sales.” So while the goal may be to increase sales, this definition highlights the fundamental difference between marketing and sales: the method. Marketing efforts are more messaging and brand-focused, intent on finding specific audiences and introducing products or services in a way that piques interest and draws consumers into the business.
Marketing is included in every aspect of a business, from product development to final sale to customer follow-up. The earliest stage of marketing involves research and analysis of the intended consumer base. It is the responsibility of marketers to identify populations that would benefit from the products or services being sold. After identifying this target market, marketers are then tasked with placing their product in front of the eyes of that customer base. This can be done in numerous ways: internet marketing, SEO& SEM, paid and organic social media, blogs, e-mail campaigns, and print ads to name a few.
Hows Sales is Different
The sales dictionary definition is a little more simple; “the activity or business of selling products or services, from customer acquisition to revenue generation.” Think of sales as the final runner in a relay race, and marketing is passing the baton. The main focus of a sales department is to take the audience identified by marketing and turn them into paying customers, which generates revenue for the business.
This isn’t to say salespeople don’t perform their own type of audience discovery. Sales departments may also be tasked with making cold calls and sending emails in an attempt to secure new customers, without any prior knowledge indicating that they may be interested in the product or service being sold. This is no easy task and requires someone who is personable, knowledgeable, and most importantly, persuasive. Additionally, salespeople are often responsible for personal follow-up after a purchase is made. Ensuring customer satisfaction is an essential step in the sales process, meaning that salespeople must also form more personal relationships with their customers.
Wrap-up
While sales and marketing have essentially the same goal, the methods of how they achieve those goals are what sets them apart. Marketing focuses on the image, the branding, and the messaging that draws customers into their company. Sales teams focus on transforming those potential audiences into real-time buyers, generating revenue, and building a relationship with consumers. Working hand in hand, both departments are essential to the success of a business.
Sources:
- https://www.webfx.com/blog/marketing/whats-the-difference-between-marketing-and-sales/#:~:text=The%20difference%20between%20sales%20and%20marketing%20is%20that%20sales%20focus,that%20interest%20and%20nurture%20it.
- https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/what-is-marketing?toc-variant-b=
- https://www.act.com/en-uk/what-is-sales
- https://www.feedough.com/what-is-sales/
