Difference between sales and marketing jobs
Even though sales and marketing jobs have some of the same goals, there are still vast differences between the two roles. Not only do they entail different duties, they also require different capabilities. While sales positions are focused on increasing sales in the moment, marketers are responsible for developing strategies and tools for the future growth of the company. If you’re interested in a sales or marketing career, read our blog to learn more about these positions.
What are sales and marketing jobs?
Sales positions involve selling products and services. They are responsible for building and maintaining good relationships with the company’s clients, they call on prospective customers to find new business, and they visit existing clients to maintain relationships. This role involves negotiating prices as well as ensuring that customers are satisfied with the service they receive. Salespeople are focused on selling products in the moment.
A marketing career involves understanding the needs of prospective customers and developing a strategy to grow sales over a period of time. Their research enables them to advise the company on how to adjust their products and communications to match the requirements of their target market. Professionals in this role develop tools to attract new customers, establish relationships, and build leads. Their strategies typically include building relationships with clients on a digital platform. Marketers give sales personnel guidelines on where to find new clients.
What is the connections between sales and marketing jobs?
Sales and marketing jobs are linked as marketers understand the constantly changing needs of the market, which enables them to direct the sales team on where and how to find new business. They also provide the sales team with the tools they need to acquire new clients. While these roles support each other in growing the business, it is difficult for one person to fulfil the requirements of both positions. This is because these positions require different knowledge and skills.
What is the difference between sales and marketing jobs?
Salespeople focus on developing a one-on-one relationship with their clients while marketers focus on reaching numerous people. Sales professionals typically schedule meetings with individual clients to build relationships while marketers build relationships with numerous potential customers at once in public platforms, such as Facebook. The primary focus of sales is on forming relationships while marketing concentrates on analysing data. Marketers collect data by carrying out focus groups, looking at website analytics and reviewing public behaviour.
A marketing career involves product development. Professionals in this field determine the needs of the market and translate these requirements into possible products. Sales employees assess the needs of individual clients so that they can advise them on an existing product that will satisfy their requirements. The success of sales is easy to monitor in the moment, however, it takes time to assess whether a marketing campaign has been successful or not.
What skills and qualifications are required?
Sales positions typically don’t require university qualifications. You can find entry-level sales positions once you finish matric and work your way up to a more senior-level position. Sales employees typically receive on-the-job training and they are also trained in the specific products that the company sells. While additional qualifications are beneficial, they are not mandatory.
If you want to start your marketing career, you’ll generally need a relevant degree. A degree in marketing is beneficial for this role and a post-graduate qualification is advantageous. Both sales and marketing jobs require good communication capabilities. Sales employees need outstanding interpersonal capabilities to build strong relationships with their clients. Self-confidence and ambition are required to approach new clients and reach sales goals. Marketing professionals need to be creative with good problem-solving skills. An in-depth understanding of social media is vital for this role.
Now that you know more about the differences between sales and marketing jobs, you can look for related jobs on Job Mail.
