How sales and marketing make a positive brand impression on consumers.
By Ryan Ayers
Are you sure that you understand the difference between marketing, advertising and sales well enough to clearly define your business strategy? The processes go hand-in-hand. For business owners, it’s critical to understand the difference between these concepts.
Marketing is an umbrella term that encompasses many business processes used to promote a service or good. Using marketing, enterprise leaders learn to identify the right product mix and how to express the best qualities of their good or service to potential consumers. Part of this process involves building a unique and positive brand identity. Marketing involves understanding your target demographic and selling environment as well as how to appeal to consumers. It involves all the impressions that people have about your brand. Advertising helps with marketing. However, is only one way that enterprises make a positive brand impression on consumers.
Many people confuse the terms sales, advertising and marketing. It’s essential to know the difference. Distinguishing between the two allows you to establish strategies to grow your enterprise. Entrepreneurs use advertising to expose their current brand, and marketing to deliver an experience that creates a positive opinion about their product or service.
Sales and Advertising Explained
To attract new consumers and clients, business owners must craft a compelling sales strategy that aligns with their overall marketing plan. Sales campaigns are typically composed of strategies to drive purchases and are usually measured using weekly, monthly and yearly goals. Additionally, effective business leaders give their sales team resources and strategies that help them to successfully meet their goals. Effective sales strategies resonate with consumers and convince them to make a purchase.
An effective advertising campaign includes emotional triggers that influence consumers to buy. It boosts sales and leaves a long-lasting, positive impression on consumers. Marketing plans help entrepreneurs identify these triggers by clearly defining potential consumers and how to appeal to their needs and – more importantly – their emotions. In many cases, businesses use advertising to highlight their unique selling proposition (USP) and the advantages of their product or service. Businesses also use advertising campaigns to show potential consumers why their product is better than their competitors’.
Short-term advertising strategies are called sales promotions. Entrepreneurs use both short-term (promotions) and long-term (advertising) strategies based on their marketing plans. Many enterprises use short-term promotions to highlight their offering when consumer demand is high. For example, many businesses offer promotions during the Christmas season.
Differences Between Marketing and Sales
For some, it’s also tricky understanding the difference between marketing and sales. However, as business owners gain more experience they learn how to develop excellent marketing campaigns and utilize sales plans effectively.
Effective marketing and sales plans can make or break an enterprise. While many often use these terms interchangeably, they are two very different concepts. Marketing plans begin with a detailed analysis of short and long-term goals, organizational objectives, market conditions and budgeting. Sales involves all the tasks required to sell a good or service. Techniques and strategies used to complete sales are often referred to as “closing.”
Marketing encompasses the long-term initiatives designed to understand consumer wants and needs, influence consumer opinions and identify how to acquire new business. Marketing activities attract consumers to a product or service. Sales activities focus on convincing consumers to commit to and finalize the deal. If consumers take an interest in your offering, but they don’t buy, there’s a problem with your sales process. Sales strategies focus on the buyer and what it takes to encourage them to make a purchase. In the end, marketing makes sales easier.
Every business has a unique set of circumstances and requires a customized, tailored marketing plan. After establishing a plan, you can make informed, effective decisions about how to promote your good or service. There are many resources and channels that business owners can use to promote their products and services. Even with the best planning, however, the right strategies only reveal themselves with time and trial and error.
To lead your organization toward success, you must have a comprehensive understanding of advertising, sales promotions and take full advantage of your marketing strategy. These are key components of any business. Developing an effective marketing plan is the most important thing that you can do to promote the success of your venture. An effective marketing plan will help you to build brand awareness, increase sales and promote growth. In fact, nearly every critical business process is affected by your marketing plan. With the right planning, you can set the stage for success and long-term prosperity.
Ryan Ayers has consulted a number of Fortune 500 companies within multiple industries including information technology and big data. After earning his MBA in 2010, Ayers also began working with start-up companies and aspiring entrepreneurs, with a keen focus on data collection and analysis. You can find more from Ryan on Twitter at @TheBizTechGuru.
Sales and marketing stock photo by one photo/Shutterstock
