What is the true difference between selling and marketing? Well first let us look at the basic MBA Textbook definition of marketing; Marketing is the planning, pricing, promotion, packaging, advertising and selling of any product or service. Well then that about says it all does it not? Sure and selling is only a sliver of the over all marketing of any product or service. But as Zig Ziglar says “nothing happens until someone sells something” and what he means is that sales is not a four letter word but a five letter word.

Many marketing consultants talk about marketing as the “message to the consumer” or potential client or prospect. This too works well for an over all definition if you are to consider it because there is always a message in; Promoting, packaging, signage, advertising, selling and well you get the picture right? Selling is also about delivering the message to the customer or prospect as well and it is a much closer message, person to person and selling can take the form of a telephone call, personal visit, demo, presentation or even an ad hoc or chance meeting with a conversation and later follow up.

Most sales Managers Consider selling to be about report and relationship building; getting to know the potential customer or prospect their desires and needs and solving a problem by offering your product or service to them. Perhaps this will help you in your quest to iron out what selling and marketing are really all about. Consider this in 2006.