National Sales Center

The Sales And Marketing Difference

Many people confuse Sales and Marketing. I’m not going to look up the definition in some dictionary because I’m sure that would contaminate my thoughts. Instead, I’ll give you my understanding of Sales and Marketing and how Sales and Marketing are different.

I don’t know if you can get a college degree in Sales but you sure can get a degree in Marketing. Why Sales is left out is beyond me. I’m sure more college graduates start their careers in Sales than Marketing. Too many people take sales skills for granted and that’s a big mistake. Sure you can become a marketing professional but you can also become a professional sales representative. Did you know that most CEOs started their careers in Sales?

My understanding of the difference between sales and marketing is very clear. Marketing is about getting sales prospects in front of a salesperson. Sales is everything that happens once that prospect is face to face with a salesperson. I’m sure many would disagree with my understanding of the difference between Sales and Marketing but I’m comfortable with my view.

Marketing includes efforts to create perceptions. We all know about branding. This is why you may feel one car company builds safer cars than another car company. Marketing creates that branding perception. Marketing creates a perceived value but it’s not added value.

Added value is something that goes well beyond perceptions. Added value is why one product is better than another product. Added value can also be used as a sales strategy to justify a higher price. Perceptions help but when the rubber meets the road; you’re in the world of sales… not Marketing.

Sales and Marketing must work together if either is to succeed. In my sales training programs I encourage reps to leverage the strengths of their marketing programs in their sales approach. This way they get the best of both worlds. The only difference is that Sales must prove and validate the perception created by marketing. Once that happens, clients are generated.

So that’s my understanding of the difference between sales and marketing and it may not work for everyone but it works for me!

To your sales and marketing success!

Nick Moreno

Tags: Sales Training