The Difference Between Sales And Marketing
As you know, marketing is the number one activity you can engage in regardless of what business you’re in. Marketing is your business. There is no higher leverage activity you can engage in.
Remember: You are not an entertainer. You are a marketer of entertainment services!
Some people get confused when it comes to the difference between marketing and sales.
Both marketing and sales are vitally important to your business but there is a difference between the two.
Marketing is what gets people to want your services. Sales are what get people to buy
your services. Read that again and let it sink in.
If you’re having trouble booking gigs you need to see whether you have a sales problem
or a marketing problem.
If you send out a bunch of lead generation letters and you get a good percentage of
people calling to book you or calling for more information but you’re not converting those leads to bookings, then you have a sales problem. The marketing is doing its job. The sales process is not.
If you’re having a sales problem, you need to look at:
• Your telephone skills
• Your closing procedures
• Your offer
• Your pricing
• Your sales presentation
• The questions you are asking
On the other hand, if you are sending out lead generation letters or have lead generation
ads and very few people are calling or requesting information, then you have a marketing
problem.
If you’re having a marketing problem, you need to look at:
• Your ads, letters, and other marketing materials
• Your offer
• Whether your marketing is hitting the right target. (Remember that even the best ad or letter written by the best copywriter will fail if it is targeting the wrong prospects.)
• Your overall marketing plan
• The timing of your marketing (Are you too late? Too early?)
So which is more important sales or marketing? Of course, both are important but in my
opinion marketing is the more important of the two. Why? Because great marketing makes the sales process infinitely easier. If your marketing is doing it’s job correctly, it will be delivering to you pre-qualified prospects who are predisposed to doing business with you.
Do What You LOVE & Love What YOU Do!
-Brad Ross
