In these parts I have seen a lot of people say sales is marketing and, others passionately argue to disprove that premise. Fortunately for me, being able to witness some passive arguments turn to face jabs and insults as I hide under the conference table has led me to strongly believe two things: first is that there is something going on between those two and secondly is the image below.
Like the unsung hero in this illustrious meme, my job is to put both parties in view and examine what makes them tick so that hopefully by the end of this piece they can both get a room and I can catch my 7 O’clock bus back to the town called “mind your business”. Due to the times we are in, I don’t have the strength for any Twitter folk calling me out for “misgendering/misrepresenting” fictional characters in my own literature, so I will refrain from saying Sales is a hot black man who bids his time and waits till the last moment to make his move, while Marketing is beautiful caucasian lady--probably East European--who looks like prime Angelina Jolie and Jorja Smith at once. Haha.
“Sales is what marketing brings to the table” is such an audacious statement and it probably may be true. I won’t be deliberating on the differences between both, that issue has been flogged for centuries and I have no interest in rekindling old fires unless it's between me and older women. You see, this love affair started when job descriptions started including sales duties in marketing positions and vice versa, thus creating some rift between the two to separate themselves because of their differences in practice--a lot of people call the BS but I’m here for the violence so I say let it continue!
Truth is, one way or the other sales people find themselves doing marketing and the same goes for the other side. This is because most of the time marketing involves spurring people to make decisions that drive action, while sales capitalises on that action to encourage the target to make a commitment involving money, credit card details or taking my phone number so you can call me when your husband/boyfriend isn’t around. While marketing initiates the conversation and leads the target on till they finally make a decision, sales will do the bedding--on other days sales will have to go do the talking.
Why? Everyone is well aware that not all marketing works. So sometimes sales people do cold calls/emails to gain back customers lost along the way. Marketing does this too, using re-targeting to drag back people that sales couldn't close, in order for them to make a commitment.
This is where the sexual tensions lie. Both parties evidently need each other ever so often but what’s a little romance without some drama, aye? That’s why both camps act like they seemingly hate each other, or as if one is much more important than the other. For people like me who see through the act, it may be because we’ve had to be in roles where you have to be a salesman and a good marketer. Some people will argue that to market effectively means to sell effectively, so what’s the fuss about “sales is not marketing, don’t put us in the same box” ?
Picture this scenario:
“Do you like him”
“What? No! I hate him. Eww.”
This happens
Last words
Don’t shoot the messenger. I’m saying there are very specific sales roles as well as there are for marketing, however, that doesn’t take away the fact that both parties should know how the other operates because eventually you’d have to do someone’s job at some point. It’s even worse if you run a business or a startup:
“Thou shalt learn the way of sales, for in it are the secrets of marketing.”
-- The ghosts of startup founders from the past.
P.S: I don't talk to the dead, these startup founder ghosts are fictional. I'm begging you.
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Arigato gouzaimasu!