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Marketing and sales
Question:
Seems the newsgroup has gone to sleep. Here’s a question ton ponder: I was asked by a client to explain the difference, in simple terms, between sales and marketing. Using an agricultural analogy, I said that marketing was ploughing, preparing the soil (fertilising etc) and sowing the seed. Sales was the harvest. This meant that marketing was the initial investment and sales the return on that investment. Anyone got any other simple ways of differentiating? Regards Nic Oliver MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
The way I found it easy to understand the difference between MARKETING and SELLING many moons ago, was the old saying in marketing that goes something like this: "If the circus is coming to town, and you put up posters saying ‘Circus Coming To The Fairground Next Week’ that’s advertising. If you put a sign on the back of an elephant and walked him around town, saying ‘Free Prizes To Be Won At Circus,’ that’s a promotion. If the elephant is deliberately walked through the mayor’s flowerbed, to make the town officials laugh when the press are present, that’s (hopefully!) good public relations. If you go around selling tickets to the circus, that’s SELLING. And if you made sure the sales staff are fully motivated and regularly trained, that the customers are getting exactly what they want, and you know how to create many more different marketing plans, then that’s MARKETING!" Respectfully Mark Metcalf Chief Executive NRNF How To Increase Your Profits With A New Strategy Free Articles and Business Growth Consultations Visit: http://www.Biz-Growth-Consultants.com MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
> I was asked by a client to explain the difference, in simple terms, > between sales and marketing. > Using an agricultural analogy, I said that marketing was ploughing, > preparing the soil (fertilising etc) and sowing the seed. Sales was > the harvest. > This meant that marketing was the initial investment and sales the > return on that investment.
Nic, That’s a good an analogy as you are probably going to find. Another way of looking at it is that marketing represents all of the processes relating to market conversion or growth, whereas sales is the process of generating exchange (ie. dollars for goods) which causes the market to become depleted. So, in a sense, the more you market (ie. the more fertilizer you use) the greater your harvest. Sherman Whipple, Sargent & Associates Strategic Services 10 Industrial Park Road, Hingham, MA 02043 Phone: 781-740-4025 Fax: 781-749-9474, E-Mail: http://www.whipplesargent.com MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
[snip] Confusing Marketing and Sales is the MOST devastating thing a company can do. The majority of companies seem to put Sales above Marketing, which is backwards. Goals and objectives are achieved with Strategies. Strategies are achieved with Tactics. Marketing is the strategic end of Sales and Sales are the tactical end of Marketing. This is the nature order and sequence of Marketing and Sales. Crops are harvested from cultivation. Sales are harvested from planning sales – Marketing. And today, most Marketing is a form of Direct Marketing. George Wehmann, President, Direct Marketing Resources Group, Inc. 2524 Birchford Court, Raleigh, NC USA 27604 Voice: 919-231-2728 – Fax: 919-231-1299 Helping You Use MARKETING Resources… To Maximize Your FINANCIAL Resources. http://www.improvedresults.com MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
> Seems the newsgroup has gone to sleep. Here’s a question ton ponder:
You could also preface your version with something like "Marketing is the strategy, sales is the execution" Eisenhower in England, Patton on the front line. Wayne Lundberg Participate in a unique site on innovation at Kevin’s www.superfactory.com MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
It is also important to remember that marketing goes beyond sales. Branding is not only important for sales, but is very critical for customer and community perception of the company. Tony Timmons R&R Partners Las Vegas, Nevada www.rrpartners.com
Confusing Marketing and Sales is the MOST devastating thing a company can do. … MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/
Response:
Confusing Marketing and Sales is the MOST devastating thing a company can do. The majority of companies seem to put Sales above Marketing, which is backwards. I disagree with your generalization of your statement. If that were the case we would be looking at a very pitiful economy. What happens in some cases is that the marketing done by sales department is considered as relationship management. Their notion of marketing is advertising and collateral promotional material on their products. > And today, most Marketing is a form of Direct Marketing.
This too is a generalization, although I think you were referring more towards database marketing, maybe not. > Marketing is the strategic end of Sales and Sales are the tactical > end of Marketing. This is the nature order and
I also have to raise an eye brow to this statement. I think saying that marketing is the strategic end of sales is not giving the field enough credit. I wouldn’t consider PR and promotions as strategic but rather tactics. MBMM *DIGEST VERSIONS* MEM Go to http://markethink.com/lists/ to subscribe Markethink Digest http://markethink.com/digest/