Marketing is a broad concept. In simple words, it means the process through which the goods and services move from the producer to the ultimate user of the products. Philip Kotler, the father of Marketing says Marketing is a social process by which a need is created, offered and exchanged via products (goods, services or an idea)
Marketing is the systematic planning and implementation so that the buyers and sellers come together and a market is created. A marketing-oriented company makes meeting the needs or wants of its target customers its primary business motivation. This includes responding to stated consumer needs by developing new products, improving on existing products, or improving services. Companies with especially strong marketing orientation may even detect consumer needs before the general market is aware of them. These companies are usually cutting-edge innovators that try to give customers what they want faster than competitors.
Example: Marketing starts much before and continues even after the product is sold. When a customer buys a car, the after-sale services comes under marketing.
Selling
Selling is a narrower concept. Selling means providing the customer with the good he/she needs in exchange of a price. It is usually between two parties. Selling is more like an agreement wherein the buyer receives the product in exchange for money.A sales-oriented company, on the other hand, is focused less on the customer and more on selling products, usually via a highly trained, highly specialized salesperson. This philosophy assumes that people will buy if aggressive sales techniques are used...this orientation often assumes that sale prices of high value equate to substantial profit. Because a sales-oriented business is so focused on pushing its product out to the customer, it must rely on aggressive sales techniques. These include an intensive promotion, such as advertising, and price-focused strategies. The sales-oriented business also relies on the strength of its sales force to move its products or services.
You may be hard-pressed to think of sales-oriented companies off the top of your head, as many of the companies that we know are market-oriented; however, think of companies that sell services or products directly to businesses, companies that sell their wares at mall kiosks, or companies that sell salespeople out door-to-door
Example: You go to a shop and the shopkeeper “sells” you a Good X and in return, you pay him some money in cash
SELLING
MARKETING
1
Emphasis is on the product.
Emphasis is on the customer wants
2
The company first makes the product and then figures out how to sell it.
The company first determines customer wants and then figures out to make it
3
Management is sales volume-oriented
Management is profit-oriented
4
Profit through Sales Volume
Profits through Customer Satisfaction
5
Planning is short-run-oriented, regarding today products and markets
Planning is long-run oriented regarding new products, tomorrow’s markets, and future growth.
6
Let the buyer be aware
Let the seller be aware
7
Product first then the customer
Customer-first then the product
In a nutshell, the differencebetween sales and marketing boils down to their respective roles in the sales pipeline. While the marketing forces do everything possible to reach and persuade prospective customers, the sales forces do everything possible to close the sale and garner a signed contract or signed check.
Conclusion
Despite many differences between sales and marketing, these are not contradictory in nature. Both these terms are closely interlinked to each other and play a very important role in the survival of business in the long run.
The sale is a human-oriented function, so the personnel involved in the sales activity should be given proper training and incentives to boost morale and earn higher pay in return. On the other hand, Marketing is a media-oriented, so the best channels of advertisement and promotion should be adopted so as to achieve an increase in sales along with the enhanced brand image.
A video that I think and like that sums up the difference in Sales & Marketing is below:
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