Sales
and marketing are two distinct yet closely related functions business
companies utilize to promote their services and products. Yet, there are many
individuals or firms which separate the two as if they were totally independent
of each other; thus, failing to maximize the potential of either and the
benefits that they produce when integrated as one seamless and continuous
process.
Essentially, marketing involves the macroscopic
strategies for pushing one’s product to the prospective consumers while sales
involves the microscopic steps done in making the consumer buy the product,
that is, closing the sale or signing the contract, for that matter.
We can then rightly say that sales is a subset
of marketing. However, the process of selling a product one-on-one is in itself
a marketing scheme that accomplishes the overall goal of the company to produce
income. It appears that both processes augment and aid each other like horse
and cart, with marketing leading the way and the cart delivering the final results
that it set out to achieve.
What
pointers should we remember to have an efficiently working marketing and sales
tandem? Let us consider the following:
1. Marketing and sale personnel need to
communicate
Companies sometimes keep their marketing department
and sales department apart and even competing against each other to the
detriment of their own well-being. Connecting the two groups and their
functions is a challenging task for managers; but succeeding in the process
will bring about great success.
Of course, there is the financial motivation
that keeps the sales people stand taller than the marketing people as the
former have the unlimited potential to make as much money as they can through
commissions and incentives from their sales. Not to be outdone, the marketing
people tend to catch up through getting incentives and commissions from promos
and ad campaigns sponsored by the company or other associated firms. The money
chase is vital and necessary; but it can become a hindrance toward a harmonious
relationship between the two groups.
2. Marketing strategies must involve and
incorporate sales personnel’s ideas
As a corollary to the first, this point
emphasizes the need for any conceived marketing scheme to consider the crucial
knowledge, experience and insights of sales people. It is no different from
generals who must come up with a battle plan by inputting the vital
intelligence reports of people in the field.
3. Sales is the final step in the process of
marketing
In general, the task of establishing an
interpersonal relation with the buyer allows the sales personnel to close on
the marketing process by selling the product. Yet, the buyer may have been
driven to buy due to previous exposure to marketing campaigns through media.
Marketing then makes the process of selling either easy or difficult. Without
understanding this concept, you cannot use both effectively.
4. Balancing marketing and sales for a
successful business
Merging the two functions into a balanced and
efficient process is the challenge every business person has to face. How do
you go about telling people about your product which is totally unknown? Or how
do you convince potential buyers who know your product but are not yet
convinced to buy?
Somewhere along the line, you will find a
perfect balance where each person’s strengths is utilized in either function to
the maximum. If you feel you or an employee is better in sales than in
marketing, then focus on that area. Still, as a general manager or owner of a
firm, one may have to be reasonably good at both to attain a certain level of
success.
5. Create a short-term marketing plan
For many beginners, having a short-term
marketing plan, say a 60 or 90-day plan, will provide a not-so-intimidating
plan you can readily manage without burdening your company’s budget or
affecting your other functions. This initial campaign will then arm you with
information and networks you can use for setting up a master plan for your
firm’s future marketing plan.
Knowing what these two functions are and how
they relate to one another will provide the key to a successful marketing and
sales synergy in your business. Take time to diligently study the intricacies
of the two and apply them in your own peculiar situation and reap the rich
benefits of doing so.
