Many people equate Marketing to Sales. We believe that Marketing is the strategic effort at a macro level, versus Sales as a targeted approach of the conversion itself – the actual transaction at a micro level. Undoubtedly, Marketing and Sales go hand in hand, and their efforts intertwine with each other to project the team towards the same end goal.
Some people say to best use their time, they do not want to make duplicate efforts when it comes to communicating with their clients or prospects. “Marketing gives me leads and I convert the sale, right?” As the intent is to stay front of mind for clients and prospects, Marketing sends its macro level message to the client/prospect, then Sales adds that personal touch and reinforces the message. Having more ‘touches’ than not is an investment that would pay dividends in the future.
Looking at the two efforts as independent is unrealistic, as Marketing’s initiatives supports Sales efforts and enhances the client experience. Without the insight from Sales, Marketing’s message and efforts will not be as effective. Without the support from Marketing in means of content, brand awareness etc., Sales will have a tougher time reaching and engaging target audiences. How many times have you enjoyed being ‘sold’?
Just as other functions such as operations, Information Technology (IT), Human Resources (HR), and Accounting/Finance are all crucial to a business and are interdependent, there is little reason why Marketing and Sales would not be viewed as such to support optimal business operations. When Sales and Marketing has an aligned strategy to support each other it increases the probability of conversion – isn’t that the ultimate goal?
