Sales Improvement Consulting
Understanding the difference between Marketing and Sales will help you conquer your competition!
It is not your customer’s job to remember you. It is your obligation and responsibility to make sure they don’t have the chance to forget you. Patricia Fripp
The first thing most people say to a business coach is “I want more sales”, then their eyes glaze over when their business coach starts talking about a Marketing Strategy.
It is important to understand that having the right Marketing Strategy will allow your small business to concentrate its limited resources on the greatest opportunities to increase sales and achieve and maintain a real competitive advantage.
Many small businesses believe that if they could throw more money at advertising they will get more sales, yet they don’t understand if their current advertising expenditure is actually working.
For a small business to truly succeed it is important to understand the difference between marketing and sales.
Marketing
Marketing is about providing the products or services your customers want and making sure they know you exist. It:
- works to increase profitability through the right volumes, products and customer mixes
- is focused on developing strategies for the optimum mix of products and markets
- is focused on the longer term
- is a strategic focus, using planning and direction for the big picture
Sales
Sales is about making your customers buy your products or services. It:
- works to increase current sales volume
- interacts with the individual customer
- is focused on the short term
- is a tactical function (sales pitch)
Many business consultants and business coaches will simply push a Marketing Strategy and Branding as the solution for increasing sales but on their own, these two exercises will normally not bring permanent and sustainable results. Marketing Strategies usually end up on the bottom shelf and branding is treated as a graphic design exercise.
A professional business coaches sales improvement consulting focus is on identifying what makes you stand out from the competition and helping you develop marketing strategies and sales action plans that are simple yet comprehensive and cost effective to implement. Your business coach should ensure you are left with the tools and skills to maintain them and obtain long term results.