Did you know that 23% of self-employed professionals find that acquiring new customers is the most challenging part of running a business?
Growing a client base is challenging for any business. However, it’s significantly harder without an active marketing team and sales staff.
If you’re fresh to the business world, you might be wondering what the difference between sales and marketing could be. Are their roles really all that different?
We’re here to fill you in! Keep reading our guide below to learn about the difference between marketing and sales!
The Role That Marketing Plays
The marketing department of a company is responsible for building a company’s brand and drawing in clients.
A marketing team will create materials, such as newsletters, social media posts, and blog posts to advertise their products.
Marketing also revolves around analytics. For instance, after completing an advertising campaign, a marketing team will analyze where the plan was successful and where it fell short.
Marketing teams also perform research on their target audience. They can then tailor their campaign strategies towards that audience and improve product quality.
Sometimes they will also work with external companies, such as the one found at https://b2bbeast.com/, to identify the best paths to company growth.
The Role of the Sales Team
A sales team works to turn leads into valued customers. They are the face of a brand and its values.
In order to acquire returning customers, a salesperson must develop a relationship with their clients. While promoting the product is important, it’s also crucial that a salesperson can cultivate trust and loyalty between the company and the client.
A salesperson, especially at smaller companies, must also work to remedy any problems a customer might face.
Breaking Down the Difference Between Sales and Marketing
Though two completely different operations, sales, and marketing departments actually work hand in hand. Sure, there’s a difference between sales and marketing—but one can’t exist without the other!
You can think of it as a comedy show.
Marketing acts as the host and sets the stage for the sales department. They create promotional materials to draw in new clients and research new ways to retain their current clients.
The sales department can then take center stage and draw in the “crowd” by acting on leads the marketing team has acquired. They expand on the products advertised by the marketing team and utilize customer service skills to make sales.
Afterward, the marketing team circles back around to follow up on the performance done by the sales team. They analyze sales details, such as products sold, to whom they were sold, etc. in order to tweak and perfect their future marketing strategies.
Both departments have a common goal: to create revenue for the company. However, the difference lies in their methods.
A marketing team plays more of a preparatory role and has less direct interaction with clients. They perform research to understand their target demographic in order to better aid the sales team.
Sales teams use marketing groundwork to develop personal relationships with customers. They have a much more direct role when it comes to customer interaction and use their skills to gain return sales.
Planning Your Next Move
Communication and teamwork between a marketing and sales staff are integral to a company’s success. No matter the difference between sales and marketing, a company will prosper if it can unite under a common goal.
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