I was talking to a friend the other day who is a sales rep for an agricultural company. “So,” she said as she poured a glass of wine, “what is it that you do? I know it’s marketing, but to be honest I have no idea what marketing is!”
“Well” I explained, “we help companies sell more stuff”. Ok, so I didn’t explain it very well; I could tell by her confused expression. “But…but, that’s what the sales team do” she said, perplexed.
She has a point. There is often some misunderstanding between the terms “sales” and “marketing”.
Our definition is: Sales guys drive to their customers’ businesses to sell. Marketing drives businesses that buy to you. Effective marketing can reach more people in one day than a sales rep in a Volkswagen Passat.
Marketing is all about getting the right products to the right people at the right price. It involves raising awareness of your business, through advertising, branding, communications and using the internet (if appropriate) to promote your product or service. It also provides the guys in the field, the sales guys, with the right materials to close the sale.
Marketing also examines the most effective communication channels. It identifies who prospective customers are and how they like to buy. Not everyone wants to see a sales person, so how else can they buy your product from you?
Businesses that see their marketing as an essential strategy rather than a “nice to have” see a much higher boost in their sales as a result. They can cross-sell, up-sell, convert more leads, retain more customers and attract new ones.
To find out how we can drive sales to your business (without you having to hang your suit up in the back of a car) then contact us
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