Sales and marketing are like two peas in a business pod, but they are not the same thing. While both aim to grow revenue, they play distinct roles in that journey. When lines between the two are blurred, it’s a problem. Why? Because it leads to confusion, inefficiencies and, worst of all, missed opportunities.
It’s time to set the record straight because understanding the differences between sales and marketing – and knowing how to make them work together – could be the key to unlocking new growth for your business.
Marketing is Not Sales. Sales is Not Marketing.
For too long there has been this erroneous assumption that marketing and sales are two sides of the same coin. This not only does a disservice to the work and process of both marketers and salespeople, but it creates an inaccurate notion of the purpose of marketing.
What Marketing Is
Marketing’s job is to introduce your brand to a lot of people – to create brand awareness. It’s not designed to appeal to everyone – only to the people who are most likely to be interested in the product (i.e., your target audience). If you consider the classic sales/marketing funnel, marketing sits at the top. Its purpose is to educate potential buyers and lead them down the funnel closer to consideration and eventually, conversion.
Through marketing, you foster engagement and build trust. You do not stuff your content with sales drivel. Rather, marketing provides relevant information, encourages conversations and communicates the value of a service or a product.
It may sound simple, but it’s quite complex. Building awareness with marketing isn’t just about throwing out a campaign blindly into the internet-ether and hoping for the best. It involves tons of research, evaluation and, most importantly, knowing your customers. When all this is done properly, with the right marketing tactics and a well-designed content marketing campaign, you capture the customers that will actually gain value from your brand.
What Sales Is
As casual readers begin to more seriously consider your product or service, it’s time to hand off the lead to sales. This is the lowest point in the funnel. In traditional businesses, this could mean a salesperson stepping in and closing the deal. More often, it’s a matter of putting an item in a cart (either physically or online) and making the purchase.
It’s crucial that this final stage in the buyer’s journey leaves them feeling good. If a buyer is happy with their decision and has a great experience, they will go on to become a loyal follower and even refer others.
The Same, Yet Different
Sales and marketing go hand-in-hand, but the partnership doesn’t work if marketing tries to sell. Each team needs to stay in its lane and do what it does best. For marketing, that’s creating awareness and giving customers information. Then, when it’s time to make a sale, seal the deal and leave your customers feeling fantastic about their decision.
If you need help mastering your marketing strategy so you can make the sales, give our team a call at The Found Gen.