What is the Distinction Between Selling and Marketing?
Posted on April 16, 2015 by George Maabadi, One of Thousands of Business Coaches on Noomii.
Selling is one-to-one persuasion. Marketing is one-to-many education.
“Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant.”-Robert Louis Stevenson
Let’s review a simple metaphor which illustrates the distinction between selling and marketing:
• Selling is the GROUND WAR!
• Marketing is the AIR SUPPORT!
Selling is one-to-one persuasion. Marketing is one-to-many education. Effective marketing should generate QUALIFIED/EDUCATED leads. Marketing gives you leverage – the ability to reach, educate and influence multiple targets in a single action. Marketing is about intelligently and strategically sowing the seeds necessary for sales to sprout.
Instead of considering the power of marketing leverage (i.e. forming strategic alliances, developing referral systems, direct mail, telemarketing, etc.), many business owners remain in the same comfort zone and deadly rut of using a single weapon such as direct selling. They miss the chance to use their air support (marketing) to vastly aid their ground war (selling). And the result is many lost opportunities.
Your goal should be to create, implement and use an on-going marketing process in your business. Think of marketing as on-going education for your customers, prospects, referral sources, etc., to better understand why it is in their best interest to do business with or refer business to your company.
Never lose sight of the fact that You are first and foremost a business owner in the MARKETING BUSINESS!!! Stay committed to the process. Continue to spend time working “ON” your business. Stay focused on your life and your business plan!
