Many people think of sales and marketing as one effort, but they are not. Unfortunately, most people who only focus on one and not the other, typically do so because they don’t know, or understand the difference or the value of either … So, let’s set the record straight.

Marketing: Marketing is everything you say, and everything you do, to create, support and facilitate the buying process. And I mean everything. Your office, your letter head, your logo (good or bad), your email signature, your website, how you answer the phone, what your voice mail sounds like, everything! Marketing is your company’s personality and image, and how your customers feel about your company’s personality will likely dictate if they do business with you or not. Remember: people do business with people they like, and people will do business with companies they like as well.

Selling: Selling is the buying process; it’s the transfer the goods or services for the perceived value they’re paying (closing the deal). Great selling can never overcome poor marketing. Great marketing can never overcome poor selling – you’ve got to have both. But, unfortunately the bean counters take over and want to only support the sales effort and let the marketing go unmanaged. You see, selling is a more measurable task than marketing. Many people think, if I can’t measure it, it’s not worth the effort, and that’s where I think they’re wrong.

I tell people all the time, selling and marketing is like dating, you must “market” yourself, and “sell” yourself the right way, which means you must pay attention to both.

Marketing is your outward appearance, and selling is your personality. Bad marketing is like having bad breath and wearing clothes that don’t match. It’s an uphill battle trying to make up for that look with a great personality. Sometimes you can, but most of the time you can’t overcome bad breath or being a bad dresser. Conversely, I’m sure you’ve seen that person who’s a great dresser and smells great (marketing), but as soon as they start talking (selling) they can’t even carry on a mature, normal conversation.

So if you want to improve your dating, buy some gum, and have someone help you match your outfits.

If you want to improve your company sales, review all your points of communication and think about everything you’re communicating to your customers about your company and you.