Sales vs Marketing

Quoting from the 2018 State of Inbound Report, it was stated that a company with a service level agreement (SLA) showed that sales and marketing were effective in attracting customers and revenue was three times higher than others. However, only 26% of respondents have formal SLAs within the company.

Both sales and marketing have the same main function, namely generating income for the company. The two are so closely related that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate them. However, the two actually have quite significant differences.

Sales is a term that is often used to describe the activity of selling goods or services. The sales team is responsible for managing relationships with prospective customers and providing solutions that lead to sales. Therefore, sales targets are usually targeted at a small group of people.

In contrast to sales, marketing focuses on a more general segment or group of people on a larger scale. Marketing is responsible for carrying out activities that increase people's interest in the company's brand, product or service. To make it clearer, here are the differences between sales and marketing based on their basic elements.

1. Process differences

The sales plan includes details about the sales process, team structure, target market, and goals. To achieve this target, the sales plan will outline the sales plan, tools, tools and resources.

In the marketing plan there is a system known as the 4Ps of marketing, namely product, price, places and promotion. His obligation is to set the sales stages, such as what products or services will be sold, at what price, where they will be sold, and to whom they will be sold.

2. Goals to be achieved

The main goal of sales is to achieve targets and sales numbers which tend to be short term from month to month. Sales management will calculate how many divisions, teams and sales personnel per person are needed to meet the target.

Meanwhile, marketing carries out activities that attract the general public to brands, products and business services. This aims to build a brand and maintain its reputation. They help improve the image and interest of customers and potential customers in your business.

3. Tools and Resources

Social media can be used by both sales and marketing. For marketing, social media can be used to promote brand and/or company content. Meanwhile, sales can be used as part of a social selling strategy. However, there are specific tools that can be used in each section:

Sales Tools

1. meeting app
2. document tool
3. invoicing software
4. email management tools
5. inventory and order management software

Marketing Tools

1. Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO)
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools
3. project management tools
4. data reporting software
5. content creation tool

4. Strategy

Sales strategies will take different approaches depending on the industry, product, market, and target customer. There are several sales strategies that are most popular, namely:

1. SPIN selling
2. Solution selling
3. N.E.A.T selling
4. Conceptual selling
5. SNAP selling
6. Customer Centric Selling
7. Inbound Selling
8. MEDDIC
9. The Challenger Sale
10. The Sandler System

Meanwhile, marketing takes an approach depending on the type of campaign and customers they are targeting. Marketing strategies are often carried out, namely:

1. Internet marketing
2. Print marketing
3. Marketing blogs
4. Search engine optimization (SEO)
5. Marketing videos

In short, both sales and marketing have different goals and responsibilities. However, both of them also have a crucial role for the company. When sales and marketing work hand in hand, brands can attract more customers and generate more income for the business. If you are developing a long-term business strategy, the need to develop your personal potential can be done by taking part in the Prasmul Eli Integrated Marketing Communication program. During 3 days of synchronous online learning, marketers will get tips that are structured and more targeted.