Marketing vs Sales: Do your marketing and sales work together?

For many years there have been discussions about the workings of the marketing and sales functions. Often seeing each other as costly expenditure whether it be their large customer expense accounts or overly creative budgets. Both argue over who is more important to the business and who should be closest to the ear of the chief executive.

The Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) recognise these issues and have recently produced a report titled “Marketing and Sales Fusion”. This has started a debate about the interaction of sales and marketing. From the CIM perspective sales is part of the original four “P’s”, that of promotion. But perhaps the CIM have been disingenuous to sales as just one part of promotion. This does not reflect the fact that most businesses have large sales departments who see themselves responsible for obtaining the sales (revenues), the lifeblood of the business. From a sales perspective marketing is seen as a fluffy function (the colouring in dept) carrying out promotional tools to encourage the sales, but with the sales department nurturing and harvesting the results. Also the word and term “sales” is understood by all in business, whereas marketing is often seen as non-essential.

Many smaller businesses will refer to sales and in reality, the function is both marketing and sales. Therefore in our view, this debate is more about the words rather than what’s happening in practice.

The important practice is that customers and colleagues within the marketing and sales functions are working in a coordinated manner. And they have common goals and outcomes.

So whatever title or department function, their actions should be measured and evaluated.
Most successful businesses understand the necessity for both functions. The CIM report identifies that with marketing and sales departments aligned, leads to better productivity, reduced duplication, and larger revenues.

If you would like a copy of the CIM report “Marketing and Sales Fusion”, please email and we’ll be happy to forward you a copy.

If you need to discuss your sales and marketing then please contact us.