I am going to take this opportunity to demystify a big myth in the business world. Marketing IS NOT SALES! They go hand and hand. They work together. You can’t have marketing without sales, and you can’t have sales without marketing.
What is Marketing?
Marketing is the behind the scenes efforts of a team, yes team, marketing cannot be done by one person. It is the understanding of your industry, your audience, your product, your pricing strategy, your business strategy and the plans in place to achieve the goals of your business. Marketing, is what happens before the sales process.
What is Sales?
Sales is the effort between a business and a consumer where the purchase occurs. The relationship with the business or business representative and the consumer is built through various marketing efforts and through individual efforts to obtain the know, like and trust factor.
How do they work together?
For a sales process or funnel to be successful, it is important that the business or it’s representatives have a strategic understanding of what must occur prior to the funnel beginning. Sales leads are achieved in a number of ways, most of which have resulted from marketing efforts. These efforts are understanding that audience, the industry and the specific business characteristics and how to use those to your advantage.
In order to have a sales process, you have to first have a marketing strategy and plan. And to have a marketing strategy and plan, you have to have a sales process to execute the sales process.
Your business is only as successful as the marketing strategies and plans that support the sales team and process. Ensuring that the two are developed in support of the goals of the company and of each other will ensure that your plans are developed.
