Have you ever thought about what the difference is between marketing and sales?
Many times they are mentioned in the same sentence.
Other times the people in each division spend their time talking trash about each other.
A few weeks ago in a mastermind meeting, one of the members stated very clearly what each is for.
Marketing includes the activities which prepare people to buy so that the person is pre-conditioned to buy when they are talking to a salesperson or when they stop in a store.
Sales is getting the money or signature on the contract and making sure that the customer has everything they need.
Salespeople say that marketers aren’t really necessary, and marketers like to think they can close sales online or via mail.
The truth is if you want a successful thriving company you need both.
When you want or need money fast, there is nothing faster than a skilled sales force with leads in hand.
And if they don’t already have leads, then they can get on the phone and start making calls.
However, this kind of work isn’t fun for most people and they burn out over time, usually a few months or years is all it takes.
With the help of a marketing department (which may be one person), making the sales will become easier.
This is because potential customers come to the sales staff predisposed to buy.
An example from one of my clients: Metropolis Resort
They are a hotel, water park, and fun center in Eau Claire, WI.
They installed a new program that helps them measure the effectiveness of the receptionists who answer their phones.
The company that provides the program can’t believe the number of people who call and book right away.
The people on the phones look like superstars, and they are good on the phones.
What makes this all possible is the marketing program the resort has in place. They’re very good at marketing.
Marketing can take many forms and media, online, offline, video, text, audio, etc.
All of them can be effective depending on who your market is and what you want them to do.
I prefer to use Facebook for at least a portion of my marketing.
There are many advantages that I’ve talked about before in other articles which you can find on my blog.
Keep in mind that your business needs a sales AND marketing to function optimally.
Remember, marketing get’s people to your business and sales finishes the process.
For an in-depth look at what an entire Facebook marketing system looks like, sign up for my FREE Masterclass on Facebook marketing: Go Social Experts Facebook Marketing Masterclass. This free class is a 5-day video course with a video each day, which goes into detail about the five steps for creating a profitable Facebook marketing machine.
Have a great day!
Brian