Marketing and sales have always been misconstrued even by practitioners. Why has this been so? I believe it is partly so because the fast paced and ever changing market space have constantly blurred the line of differentiation.The difference between marketing and sales can be likened to the difference between a vision statement and a mission statement.Just as the vision statement drives the mission statement so also does marketing drives sales. I will try to throw some light on the differences in this article and hope that it will be more visible to you the differences and similarities between marketing and sales.

Take marketing as the whole picture. Marketing involves identifying,meeting and surpassing customers' needs and expectations at a profit while sales is the actual action employed when convincing and canvassing people to buy your products and services. Sales can be achieved through direct contact with customers through the sales personnel on the field or in your offices depending on your distribution channels. Sales can also be generated through advertising, promotion and cold calls. All these activities wound up together is what is called marketing.

Marketing precedes sales and if your marketing is faulty chances are that your sales will be sloppy. When you position your products and services and locate your business offices strategically to get close to your customers' reach you are actually carrying out marketing activities. When you engage prospects in cold calls and visit customers or use direct mail services,send brochures and catalogs you are trying to make sales hoping that the whole marketing activities will eventually help generate sales. This is the symbiotic nature of marketing and sales.In today's business, understanding the customer,market environment, government regulations amongst other things can help sharpen your marketing activities. While no business survives without sales, it is important to note that marketing will lead to product development and sales will lead to revenue generation. It is also important to note that your sales team can make great inputs into your marketing activities, mostly by bringing back feedback to the organization as they are constantly in touch with the customers.

This is why it is important that every business must employ competent sales personnel that can understand and interpret marketing plans to enable them successfully drive sales activities. Market planners must ensure that the sales team are involved in developing marketing plans for developing new products and reviving existing products. Despite the seemingly blurring of the functions of marketers and sales people in today's business climate,it is important to note that they are entirely different responsibilities though both roles can be played together. Selling is the last thing done after the products have been made available. Marketing is the first thing to be done before actually selling takes place. This calls for you to get your marketing right and you can be rest assured that your sales team will bring in revenues that will make you go smiling to the bank. I see you on top of your riches.

Kolawole Kehinde is the Principal Consultant at Rosewindow Consulting and currently lives in Abuja. He can be reached on kola@rosewindowconsulting.com kolayore@yahoo.com 2348055159014 for speaking events and seminars on personal development, time management and marketing business services in the 21st century.