| Thinking about studying business? Enrolling on a | | | | system - and it is the job of a sales team to |
| business course at foundation or degree level is a | | | | make as smooth and successful as possible. For |
| logical idea for anyone with dreams to set up their | | | | certain products this may be a matter of |
| own company or organisation, and both sales | | | | implementing suggestive selling or up-selling |
| management and marketing skills will certainly be | | | | techniques, whereas other services may benefit |
| important to learn. However, despite there being a | | | | more from consultative selling. |
| certain amount of overlap between the two, | | | | While marketers must acknowledge budgets for |
| there are some significant differences between | | | | advertising and generating buzz, sales |
| sales management and marketing - and this article | | | | management need to be concerned with the |
| gives an overview of these differences. | | | | amount of products they need to sell, the cost of |
| Although both have the primary target to ensure | | | | storage and staff, and being sure there are |
| and aid the success of a business, company, or | | | | enough products to meet demand. The above |
| organisation, sales management individuals/teams | | | | aspects of sales management come during the |
| and marketing individuals/teams have quite | | | | sales planning stage, after the initial conception of |
| different specific goals. Whilst the former works | | | | the product. |
| to persuade prospective buyers to spend their | | | | Both a marketing and a sales management team |
| money on products or services, a marketing | | | | will concern itself with reporting. Yet, while the |
| team will work to - both directly and indirectly - | | | | marketing team will focus on the worth of certain |
| generate information or 'buzz' about products and | | | | types of advertising and promotion in response to |
| the company as a whole. | | | | how much of the product has been sold, the sales |
| In even simpler terms marketers are typically | | | | management team will report on the |
| concerned with reaching out to more custom | | | | effectiveness of the sales team to investors and |
| while sales managers are more inclined to consider | | | | partners - in terms of key performance indicators |
| what happens when the customer is in the store. | | | | and where the selling process can be streamlined |
| Of course, even the simple matter of the | | | | in the future. |
| customer-purchasing process is actually a complex | | | | |