Mktg vs selling: The classic debate

Marketing VS Sales

It’s all in how you look at it

But firstWhy do they belong to different planets

Marketing wants “Mr. Right” but Sales wants “Mr. Right Now!”

Marketing Sit in their AC offices while sales slug it out on the field

Marketing burns monies while Sales earns money!

Marketers focus too much on process rather than outcome

Majority of Marketing content created for Sales never gets used.

Oft heard cribs

Their perceptions don’t match

Sales• Product-out• Fulfill demand• Short-term• Profits through sales

volume

Marketing• Customer-in• Generate demand• Long term• Profits through customer

satisfaction

StartingPoint

Focus Means Ends

ExistingProductsFactory

Selling andPromoting

Profits ThroughSales Volume

CustomerNeedsMarket

IntegratedMarketing

Profits ThroughCustomer Satisfaction

The Selling Concept

The Marketing Concept

They have different starting point

They chase different goals

Sales• Targets• Revenues• What’s the offer?• Immediate cash• Close the lead

Marketing• Brand health• Brand equity• What’s the insight? • Long-term valuation• Generate leads

Resolving the conflict

Two sides of a coin with the same convergence point:

CUSTOMER

“Because if you are not taking care of your customer, your competition will”

Mind space vs. Physical space

Marketing is all about creating the right positive perception before the actual

interaction/moment of truth.

And sales is to ensure that the interaction leads to a conversion

It’s getting the mindset right

“A sales mindset is based on figuring out how to get in front of customers to persuade them to buy. A marketing mindset, on the other hand, focuses on building relationships so that customers will want to do business with you. One is about trying to find customers, while the other is about customers finding you”

John R. Graham

• Marketing needs to treat Sales as its internal customer

• Marketers should spend more time in the field, speaking to customers. In fact they should go a step ahead and make a sale or two

• Marketing needs to create a sense of urgency in their communication and build in a clear call to action.

• Marketing should not let research trump everything else. Sales feedback is real research.

• Sales should embrace the fact that we are all in the business of helping consumers meet their needs, not just pushing products

• Marketing and Sales need develop a process of joint business planning

• Marketing’s goals (and bonuses) are tied to the same goals as Sales – e.g. bookings and new customers acquired

So let’s try and make the relationship work better

THANK YOU