Do You Know the Difference and the Dependency?
Many people refer to "sales" when they mean "marketing" or "marketing" when they mean "sales". Because these two business functions are so closely related, many times business owners don't recognize the differences. Fewer recognize the dependency.
There is both a distinction (difference) and a dependency between the two.
For those who deal exclusively with either one on a consistent basis, they seldom recognize the true reliance that they have on each other.
A recent survey shows that more companies have a Marketing Plan than a Sales System. Fifty–five percent (55%) have some type of Marketing Plan while only twenty percent (20%) use any type of Formal Sales Process.
While most people understand the need for a successful sales process, most don't understand the need for a dynamic marketing process. Let's look at the two and see how understanding what they are and what they are supposed to do can make you more effective at both.
What Does "Marketing" Really Mean?
In marketing, there are two critical and related components: Strategic marketing and Tactical marketing.
Strategic Marketing
Strategic Marketing involves the positioning of your company in the industry and your marketplace. When developing this plan, you ask yourself specific questions about "why" you should or should not do certain things. This in turn will determine how you will present yourself to your customers and prospects.
These questions will take into consideration the following:
- Market Opportunity Identification, including your Target Market description
- Competitor Analysis and what values they may not be addressing in the marketplace
- Strategic Positioning and where you can make in–roads into capturing market share
- Innovations or changes that you can make in your company to better service your customers and prospects
- Alliances or Partnerships that will strengthen your overall offering and position
- Acquisitions that will also strengthen your overall offering and position
Finally, Strategic Marketing develops your strategic message – that is, "what you say". It's the message you use at every point of contact.
Tactical Marketing
The Tactical Marketing side of your Marketing Plan is the execution of your Strategic Marketing. In this phase of your marketing plan, you use different marketing "tactics" to communicate your strategic message.
Examples of tactical marketing include:
- Websites
- Automated e-mail Campaigns
- Direct Mail
- Newsletters
- Press Releases
- Brochures or Catalogues
- Trade Show Displays
- Various other advertising mechanisms, like Yellow Pages, radio, TV or magazines (Note: printed media is rapidly losing ground to digital media methods)
This is how you keep customers coming back and bring in new prospects. Luftig Warren's Educational Marketing System (EMS)™ incorporates the two elements of marketing to educate customers and prospects about the important issues in your industry, leading them (at their own pace) to the conclusion that you are the best choice that they could make.
Where Does Sales Fit?
Once you have qualified prospects interested in doing business with you, you need the final step in the whole process: Sales.
A good Marketing Plan does not eliminate the need for personal contact – Effective marketing does not replace the need to manage customer relationships.
Responsibilities of sales include:
- Responding to marketing–generated leads
- Developing or Nurturing customer relationships
- Understanding customer values
- Customer problem resolution
- Key account selling
- Current customer retention
- All customer follow-up
Where It All Ties Together
- Unless the Strategic Marketing issues are dealt with first, it is impossible to do Tactical Marketing well.
- If Tactical Marketing is not bringing interested parties to the Sales people – they will be wasting time trying to find qualified prospects… and your sales volume will suffer for it.
Do you need help bringing it all together? If so, contact Luftig Warren. We will gladly explain how this can all work for your business. We have demonstrated success in a variety of industries. Review our Case Studies to learn how it works.
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