What's the difference bet. marketing and sales?

[maxeffect]

First of all, is there a difference between marketing and sales?
If yes, what is it? If no, than why are there two different words for same thing?

Can u make ur career in one of them without being a part of other? I mean doing marketing and not sales.

thanks


(p.s. i searched for nething similar but cudnt get... dnt blame me for starting a new thread )

[akil_turbo]

Sales per se would be a part of the broader field that marketing is . Sales deals with the margins and channels involved in selling goods to the customer whereas Marketing ,which includes the former , also includes areas like Brand Management, Advertising ,Product positioning etc.

[bizskool]

Marketing is the superset or unoverse. Sales is subset. Marketing is much broader in definition including planning, programming, budgeting, analysis, pre-sales and post sales. This also includes marketing communication-advertising, PR etc.

Sales is as undestood, selling or transfer of goods or servicesin exchange of money or other goods or services. Will also include channel management (distribution etc). Sales is more field oriented and frontline than marketing.

While the boundaries are grey and each is complimentary to each other, marketing requires more skill and experience than sales. In other words good sales experience is an asset to grow up to a good marketing career.

[maxeffect]

Thankx...both of u. So does dat mean, u cant be a part of marketing without being a part of sales?
And why is it that...a marketing executive is always held with the a field job(sales) when there are other aspects to it?

[live_n_let_live99]

Strictly speaking...Yes, you can be a part of the 'Marketing' team without actually being involved in sales...This typically happens when you're not quite in the lower rungs of the Management team...

However, as common sense would suggest, it would be great to have some 'hands-on' experience in Sales to understand the subject of Marketing better...And hence beginners are often pushed to the 'Sales' operation early on in their careers...That said, exceptions do apply and you'll have enough instances of ppl who've made it big, in Marketing without ever having to sell anything...!!

[rmbt]

This thread might help you:

http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/career...questions.html (Marketing/Sales/Business Development Questions)

All the best.

[theunkindmonk]

I will try 2 keep it simple.......

Marketing is idetenfying an existing need abt a product, tapping tht segment and finally delivering it to that segment

Sales is the delivery part.........the last lap

Nw bth r pretty complex bt sales is a part of Marketng n marketng is more strategic vis a vis sales.

Rest there r loads of book on the subject.......hwever Mrktng responsibility is wht one shld aspire fr in job secnarios.......obvsly thts my prsnl opinion!

Cheers

[TheVishy]

Hi there ,

I could give u experience from my previous company which was an MNC . I was in the sales dept. and all I did that customer interaction and helping them with problems ...meeting them for new orders etc. Overall dierct interaction with customer .

Our Marketting dept would send us ...advisaries for the customer when new products are launched and they do all the brand building thing . They dont deal with customers at all and their prime focus is advertising , sales promotion in a territory through brochures , advisary mails , feeback forms etc.

Overall my experience is sales is direct with customer , marketting is within the company building their own brand their innovative ideas . It is possible to have a career in Marketting without being part of Sales team...and I personally thought its better than sales !!

Rgds