All of this proves is what an imprecise tool language can be.

The fact that sales and marketing are so easily confused and regarded as interchangeable explains why so many companies lump both disciplines together under a 'Sales and Marketing Director'.

Yet they are different. (And this is, I guess, just another opinion!)

Let's look at some of the cut and dried examples given.

The kid who asks if he can cut the grass is marketing himself. The moment that you say yes, he has made a sale.

The 7/11 that you drive past was passively marketing itself with a neon sign that told you it was open. Without that knowledge, you would not have sold yourself on going in the door.

The water filter that you bought way back was marketed with advertising in press and probably TV. All kinds of marketing messages filtered (ouch!) into your brain before you chose that brand and model. This particular product happens to come with a renewable income stream for the manufacturers - the cartridges. Sure, the cartridges on their own need little direct marketing, but that is because the means of using them has had tons.

The same arguement can be applied to printer cartridges or fax paper or fountain pen ink. All supposedly non-marketed items whose continued sales rely on the highly active marketing of a master product.

Ultimately, my definition of sales versus marketing is that marketing is everything that is done to create a need, and sales is the act of fulfilling it.

I am sure there are a million alternatives, though.

Martin.


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