What is marketing and how to differentiate it from selling?

Marketing

Definition: Marketing is the systematic planning, implementation and control of business activities to bring together buyers and sellers.

Approach: Broader range of activities to sell product/service, client relationship etc.; determine future needs and has a strategy in place to meet those needs for the long term relationship.

Focus : Overall picture to promote, distribute, price products/services; fulfill customer's wants and needs through products and/or services the company can offer.

Process: Analysis of market, distribution channels, competitive products and services; Pricing strategies; Sales tracking and market share analysis; Budget

Scope: Market research; Advertising; Sales; Public relations; Customer service and satisfaction .

Sales

Definition: A sale a transaction between two parties where the buyer receives goods (tangible or intangible), services and/or assets in exchange for money.2) An agreement between a buyer and seller on the price of a security.

Approach: Make customer demand match the products the company currently offers.

Focus: Fulfill sales volume objectives

Process: Usually one to one

Scope: Once a product has been created for a customer need, persuade the customer to purchase the product to fulfill her needs

In general we use ‘marketing’ and ‘selling’ as synonyms but there is a substantial difference between both the concepts. It is necessary to understand the differences between Marketing vs Selling for a successful marketing manager. Selling has a product focus and mostly producer driven. It is the action part of marketing only and has short  term goal of achieving market share The emphasis is on price variation for closing the sale where the objective can be stated, as “I must somehow sell the product”. This short  term focus does not consider a prudential planning for building up the brand in the market place and winning competitive advantage through a high loyal set of customers. The end means of any sales activity is maximizing profits through sales maximization

When the focus is on selling, the businessman thinks that after production has been completed the task of the sales force starts. It is also the task of the sales department to sell whatever the production department has manufactured. Aggressive sales methods are justified to meet this goal and customer’s actual needs and satisfaction are taken for granted. Selling converts the product in to cash for the company in the short run

Marketing as a concept and approach is much wider than selling and is also dynamic as the focus is on the customer rather than the product. While selling revolves around the needs and interest of the manufacturer or marketer, marketing revolves around that of consumer. It is the whole process of meeting and satisfying the needs of the consumer

Marketing consists of all those activities that are associated with product planning, pricing, promoting and distributing the product or service. The task commences with identifying consumer needs and does not end till feedback on consumer satisfaction from the consumption of the product is received. It is a long chain of activity, which comprises production, packing, promotion, pricing, distribution and then the selling. Consumer needs become the guiding force behind all these activities. Profits are not ignored but they are built up on a long run basis. Mind share is more important than market share in Marketing 

Marketing is the concept started in early years ofth century. Earlier when industrial revolution took place, the supply for the goods exceeded the demand and there was need to promote and sell the goods. With that need, the concept of selling evolved. As competition increased, companies went beyond the concept of selling to generate the revenue and then broader concept of marketing came to existence. The definition of marketing is as follows. General Definition: “Marketing is an integrated process of identifying the needs of customers, designing a product to fulfill the need, creating that need into demand for product and at the end selling the product profitably.” Definition of Philip Kotler: It is the Art and Science of choosing target markets and getting, keeping, and growing customers through creating, delivering, & communicating superior customer value. Definition by Peter Drucker: “The aim of marketing is to know and understand the customer so well that the product or service fits him and sell itself” E.g. Amazon started e-commerce. Customers wanted to save time of shopping. Amazon came up with a service which actually was saving time of customers selling them things online. This was an approach which met needs of the customer and this is a very good example of marketing. E.g. IKEA understood the need of the customers to have furniture in low price so they came up with the knockdown furniture.

Difference between Marketing and Selling are:

1.Sales starts with a product while marketing starts with customer .

2.Sales is subset of marketing while marketing is vast concept and sales is just part of it.

3.Sales focus is to achieve sales target while marketing focus is to fulfill the customer’s needs .

4.Sales process is designed considering the short term while marketing process is designed considering the long term.

 

Thanks for your invitation.

Marketing is a process commences before the selling and after. we can say that marketing is the process by which the companies create value for the customer and set up strong customer relationships in order to capture a value from the customers in the return. This process comprises the following :

1- Creating value

2-Developing Relationships

3- Building Brands

4- Good Customer Services

5- Nurturing innovation

6- Identifying the customer requirements

7-Benefit of the Company and its stakeholders

8- Sustainability

 

Selling is considered as a part of the complete integration marketing process which start when the products are available to be sold. Selling starts to convince the customer about the characteristics of a certain product and system compare with other competitors, product & System.The Selling is ended as soon as the Purchase Order received and L/C opening to organize the payments as per the deliveries. Selling only occurs after a product is manufactured or a service is created.

We can confirm the following to differentiate Marketing from the Selling as : 

 

1- Marketing starts before the company has a product or services

2-  Marketing is continued throughout a product's life and finding new customers

3- Improving product appeal and performance and managing repeat the sales

4-Marketing involves also research to assess needs, measure their extent and determine if profitable opportunities exist

5- Marketing assists to reduce the Business Risks and identify Sales Opportunities with developing the action plans

6- Marketing supports the sales process by increasing number of the new customers and increase  length of time that the customers remain active

 

Thank you for always asking such thought provoking questions Ghada.

 

Marketing essentially makes the target market aware of your product/where to buy it/highlights differentiating features.

Sales/customer service ensures that the customer who want your product buys it, is happy with it, and returns to you when he/she needs to make another purchase.

all the above answers are great

 

simply sales is one element in the promotional mix and the promotional mix is one element in the marketing mix.

Marketing vs. Sales  

Marketing and sales are both aimed at increasing revenue. They are so closely intertwined that people often don’t realize the difference between the two. Indeed, in small organizations, the same people typically perform both sales and marketing tasks. Nevertheless, marketing is different from sales and as the organization grows, the roles and responsibilities become more specialized.

Comparison chart

Marketing versus Sales comparison chart

 

  MarketingSalesDefinition Marketing is the systematic planning, implementation and control of business activities to bring together buyers and sellers. A sale a transaction between two parties where the buyer receives goods (tangible or intangible), services and/or assets in exchange for money. 2) An agreement between a buyer and seller on the price of a security. Approach Broader range of activities to sell product/service, client relationship etc.; determine future needs and has a strategy in place to meet those needs for the long term relationship. Make customer demand match the products the company currently offers. Focus Overall picture to promote, distribute, price products/services; fulfill customer's wants and needs through products and/or services the company can offer. Fulfill sales volume objectives Process Analysis of market, distribution channels, competitive products and services; Pricing strategies; Sales tracking and market share analysis; Budget Usually one to one Scope Market research; Advertising; Sales; Public relations; Customer service and satisfaction . Once a product has been created for a customer need, persuade the customer to purchase the product to fulfill her needs Horizon Longer term Short term Strategy Pull Push Priority Marketing shows how to reach to the Customers and build long lasting relationship Selling is the ultimate result of marketing. Identity Marketing targets the construction of a brand identity so that it becomes easily associated with need fulfillment. Sales is the strategy of meeting needs in an opportunistic, individual method, driven by human interaction. There's no premise of brand identity, longevity or continuity. It's simply the ability to meet a need at the right time.

THANKS FOR INVITATION AGREE WITH ALL ANSWERS

Marketing is creating awareness of the product thereby to derive it for sales and making business. My 2 cents. Thanks.

Thanks for invitation

I amagreeing with my colleague’s answers

I think selling is sub part of marketing.