Why Business Owners Need To Stop Confusing Marketing And Sales - The Digital Prosperity Podcast - Season 5, Episode 13

The marketing and sales departments are crucial elements of any business, but it’s just as important to know that the two shouldn’t be confused as they have distinct differences.

In this episode of the Digital Prosperity Podcast, JDR Group Directors Will Williamson and David Roberts discussed the importance of not confusing marketing and sales, common misconceptions of the two departments and much more.

Why Do Business Owners Confuse Marketing And Sales? 

While marketing and sales can be treated similarly, marketing brings several different functions to the day-to-day running of the business, such as branding, PR and lead generation. While these functions aim to bring in new customers, these can often be perceived as sales functions by business owners, and thus the lines get blurred between the two departments.

Appealing to your customers from a branding and emotional standpoint are also marketing functions that often get confused for being part of the sales process. At JDR Group, we’ve spoken to many business owners about what they want from their marketing, and the answer is usually to double revenue or increase sales. 

However, advertising your business to a broader audience won’t grant you sales instantly, but implementing various marketing functions alongside will help your chances, which is why marketing and sales can work collaboratively rather than be confused as the same within a business.

The Differences Between Marketing And Sales

Having an effective digital marketing strategy, whether it’s your website or social media etc., will put a process in place to attract new customers to your business. Once the potential lead has been identified or an enquiry has been made, the transition to sales begins.

Therefore, the sales team's job is to convert those leads into new customers. This is done by getting their details and getting in contact with them to understand their situation and why your service will be the solution to their problem.

While the marketing and sales in bringing in new customers are separate, they should always work collaboratively to ensure that there aren’t any problems in bringing in new customers. If leads aren’t being converted into sales, the marketing team can assist with the follow-up and nurturing of a lead by adjusting email marketing campaigns and videos etc. Likewise, if any issues are present in the marketing of your business, then your sales team can be on hand to provide valuable insights into what can be the focus going forward.

If you’re a small or medium-sized business looking to improve your digital marketing strategy, please contact our team today. Click here to listen to the full episode, and follow the Digital Prosperity Podcast for notifications on upcoming episodes.

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