The Faculty of Economics and Business Alma Ata – Sales and marketing are often considered the same, particularly in the context of a company dealing in goods or services. Many people who don’t understand the difference between the two may think that sales and marketing have similar meanings and duties since both are related to selling products or services. Indeed, both are parts of a company’s strategy to meet targets and achieve profit, but their focus and activities are distinct. Here’s a clearer explanation of the differences between sales and marketing:
Definitions:
To understand the difference between sales and marketing, we must first grasp their definitions. Sales refer to the activities conducted by individuals or companies to sell products or services, with the primary goal of making sales. On the other hand, marketing is a series of company activities aimed at understanding and responding to customer needs, with the goal of satisfying those needs through products or services.
Market Orientation:
The difference between sales and marketing is also evident in their market orientation. Sales focus on the internal market, where a company first creates a product and then sells it to achieve profit without needing to identify consumer needs. In contrast, marketing is oriented towards the external market, where consumer needs are identified first. The company then determines how to promote, target, distribute products, and finally sell them to achieve profit.
Scope of Work:
The scope of work for sales is short-term, limited to the buying and selling transactions. Once a product is sold, the sales team’s responsibility ends, and they are no longer responsible for customer relationships. Conversely, marketing has a broader scope, as the marketing team is responsible for maintaining good relationships with consumers and vendors. This relationship starts even before the transaction occurs and continues afterward to ensure customer loyalty.
Source:
- https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/profitable-partnership-business-partners-cowork_12084799.htm#fromView=search&page=1&position=0&uuid=babf4c11-fa3a-4009-94c1-6114b8d25577
