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Sales and Marketing: Know and Apply The Separate But Equal Ideology
| Guest post by: Patricia Weber |
Article Overview: There are only three ways to get more business or more revenue: you can get more clients, you can sell to your clients more often with more products or services and you can increase your fees or prices. Now it may be the introvert in me yet I think there is one key reason so many people in sales are not at the top of their game, whether employees or independent professionals. It’s is because of confusing sales with marketing and vice versa, there’s not a foundation on which to sell successfully.
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Sales and Marketing: Know and Apply The Separate But Equal Ideology
There are only three ways to get more business or more revenue: you can get more clients, you can sell to your clients more often with more products or services and you can increase your fees or prices.
Now it may be the introvert in me yet I think there is one key reason so many people in sales are not at the top of their game, whether employees or independent professionals. It’s is because of confusing sales with marketing and vice versa, there’s not a foundation on which to sell successfully.
Marketing leads selling with finding out about what your customer needs, promotional messages and overall being strategic about informing customers what you offer.
Have you ever been to a networking event where shortly after you ask of someone, "And what do you do?" the start going into a sales pitch? Then they keep on going even if your eyes are glazed over?
This usually is ego on steroids.
It makes me cringe. Networking is not the place to be selling. Networking’s best approach is to find out what you can about who you are talking with. That’s called, marketing research.
Selling is being other focused after you know what they want. In other words it’s about the potential customer, not what you do or have. Being naturally comfortable to talk a good deal about myself, my real strength is first listening to what others say. Of course, sometimes I do get whisked away into yap, yap, yap about me, me, me. It’s easy after so many years of selling under extrovert rules. But, I generally cut myself within seconds of hearing it go on.
Why is this important?
If you want your selling to be more successful, your marketing has to let your prospects know that you know them.
There are at least five ways to let your marketing open the door to selling for you.
For now know the distinction between sales and marketing. Think of them as separate but equal: without effective marketing, the sales don't happen. Until you focus on the buyer, how can you know what you need to talk with them about?
One Web Site Or Two?
Do you need an Internet Marketing Plan?
I am Equal; You are Equal
Separating Personal and Business in Social Media
Filling the Gap Between Generation and Conversion
Related Forum Posts
Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing
Re: Online Sales and Marketing vs Traditional
- [quote="ltrahan":31w9r2iz]Hi Evan,
I am noticing that many of the posts in the Sales/Marketing section deal with online marketing, SEM and and SEO and Affiliates. I was wondering if it might be a good idea to separate that section into two; 1) Online Sales and Marketing; 2) Traditional Sales and Marketing[/quote:31w9r2iz]
I second the request...
Re: Art of Marketing
- Differences, at some basic level, will always level the playing field - for the better.
Take a look at the franchise fast food industry. Yes, the top concepts are there year after year, but if you take a step back, smaller concepts are always gaining market share. People love fast food. But people also love variety. Apply this to the Art of Marketing, there is a customer base everytime - however, its more how much of an artist you are in your customers eyes, not yours keep in mind.
niche forum categories
- I think Kevin just touched on the point that I was going make... and that is developing 'categories' that stick. Sales and Marketing may be too broad for example. However I can almost guarantee you that you would see many more sign-ups if you tailored a category to 'internet marketing' for newbies. I've seen this work on other forums, however, [i:1i903wkn]it can get a little frantic[/i:1i903wkn]...
Fine tuning the categories, or expanding the scope should be effective. I think a lot of IM folks are surfing right on by because they're not finding what they're looking for here...
Just a few thoughts:
Better Blogging
Developing Info Products
Internet Marketing
Presentation Skills
More How to's
Another point is... a lot of people don't know that they can benefit from participating in forums. The signature links to their site - if they have one - can / should be motivation enough to get more involved. The more internet savvy members that have signatures seem to stick around more... Don't you think?
Different Hats
- CEO Sales & Marketing & Leadership Development Company
Strategic Vision 10
Alliances & Growth Strategies 10
Hiring & Managing People 8
Mentoring 8-9
Strategic Planning for Clients 10
Execution of Marketing Campaigns 9-10 (i have great people who do the nitty gritty)
Financial Management 9
Bookkeeping 3 (outsourced as I really hate the fine details like GST0
Administrative Follow Up 6-7 (again have great staff)
Writing & Publishing 9 (getting better all the time!)
Speaking 10 (so I have been told)
Self Promotion 9-10
Web development & Promotion 6-7 (learning more and have brought on players who are 10+)
Babysitting Employees (1 - wont do it, that's why I work so hard to hire and motivate the people I have)
Great topic Kevin!!
Jude
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