There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding when it comes to Sales and Marketing in business today. Sales is the end result, that’s a given and Marketing is a driver. Or is it? Some say that Sales and Marketing should feed off of each other in a never ending cycle, others say Marketing is just a tool for Sales. What about Product?
Trent Fierro, Director of Marketing at Avenda Systems says, “I’ve never worked anywhere where marketing was the primary driver. Marketing usually reported into sales, never vice versa. At Cisco the goal was to provide sales with the ammunition they needed to either start or stall a competitive opportunity, then sales had to close the deal.”
John Hibel, Director of Sales at West Interactive says, “If the goal is sales, you also need a product or service in order to achieve the goal and complete a sale. Does it then follow that product development should report to sales? The functional leaders in a business need to work together to achieve a common goal regardless of reporting structure. While there is some overlap, marketing and sales do have some distinct differences in the skillsets and priorities needed for success. You need good leadership to balance these differences– it’s easy for sales to drive marketing into a short term lead generation machine that doesn’t position the company for long term success. It’s also easy for marketing to get lost in an ivory tower of branding that does little to help sales in the short term. One of the things you’ll notice in business is there are two organizational structures: one defined by the org chart, and the other defined by how people work together to get stuff done. They rarely overlap as much as you might think.”
There is an ongoing discussion on this very topic that you can take part in and share your opinions by clicking here.
After reading many opinions and thoughts from experienced Sales and Marketing executives and others, it’s understandable why the confusions (misconceptions?) arise. In this discussion, the original question was that if Sales is the prime objective, why is it a part of Marketing, however others add the placement of Product in this mix. Can’t have Sales without the product, right?
POSITION: Mom, Mommy, Mama, Ma, Dad, Daddy, Pa, Pop
JOB DESCRIPTION:
Long term, team players needed for challenging, permanent work in an often chaotic environment.
Candidates must possess excellent communication and organizational skills and be willing to work variable hours, which will include evenings and weekends and frequent 24 hour shifts on call. Some overnight travel required, including trips to primitive camping sites on rainy weekends and endless sports tournaments in far away cities!
Travel expenses not reimbursed. Extensive courier duties also required.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
The rest of your life. Must be willing to be hated, at least temporarily until someone needs $5.00. Must be willing to bite tongue repeatedly. Also, must possess the physical stamina of a pack mule and be able to go from zero to 60 mph in three seconds flat in case, this time, the screams from the backyard are not someone just crying wolf. Must be willing to face stimulating technical challenges, such as small gadget repair, mysteriously sluggish toilets and stuck zippers. Must screen phone calls, maintain calendars and coordinate production of multiple homework projects. Must have ability to plan and organize social gatherings for clients of all ages and mental outlooks. Must be willing to be indispensable one minute, and an embarrassment the next. Must handle assembly and product safety testing of a half million cheap, plastic toys, and battery operated devices.
Must always hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Must assume final, complete accountability for the quality of the end product. Responsibilities also include floor maintenance and janitorial work throughout the facility.
POSSIBILITY FOR ADVANCEMENT & PROMOTION:
None.
Your job is to remain in the same position for years without complaining, constantly retraining and updating your skills so that those in your charge can ultimately surpass you
PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE:
None required unfortunately.
On-the-job training offered on a continually exhausting basis.
WAGES AND COMPENSATION :
You pay them! Offering frequent raises and bonuses. A balloon payment is due when they turn 18 because of the assumption that college will help them become financially independent. When you die, you give them whatever is left. The oddest thing about this reverse-salary scheme is that you actually enjoy it and wish you could only do more..
BENEFITS :
While no health or dental insurance, no pension, no tuition reimbursement, no paid holidays and no stock options are offered; this job supplies limitless opportunities for personal growth, unconditional love, and free hugs and kisses for life if you play your cards right.
Forward this on to all the PARENTS you know, in appreciation for everything they do on a daily basis letting them know they are appreciated for the fabulous job they do…or forward with love to anyone thinking of applying for the job.
My good friend Sylvia totally spammed me on all of my e-mail accounts both company and personal. In any other situation I’d be totally ticked. I hate spam. However, she spammed me with not only Birthday wishes and a poem but also included facts about this date from 1969. This is one of the many things that I love about Sylvia – she’s so damn thorough!
On to what she’s gathered on this day back in 1969:
US President
Richard M. Nixon
1969 Prices
Bread: $0.23/loaf
Milk: $1.26/gal
Eggs: $1.14/doz
Car: $3,400
Gas: $0.35/gal
House: $27,900
Stamp: $0.06/ea
Avg Income: $10,577/yr
Min Wage: $1.60/hr
Top Songs for 1969
Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone
Honky Tonk Women by Rolling Stones
I Can’t Get Next to You by Temptations
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In by Fifth Dimension
Hot New Toys in 1969
Barrel of Monkeys (I totally loved these!)
Toss Across
Easy-Bake Premier Oven (Oh yeah, I was the cool kid on the block with this!)
Silly String (Hated this stuff!)
Upsy Downsy Babies (Had one, freaked me out, I cut its head off and threw it in the fireplace)
Weebles (I had the entire family!)
Sylvia, thank you for bringing back some memories, sharing, and the Birthday wishes. You are indeed a good friend.
From time to time I wander around the Internet taking random questionaires. I enjoy seeing changes and smiliarities from past to present. The most recent one taken, “What career will suit your personality?“, seemed to really sum it up well and according to my (honest) answers, really described what I believe to be the person that I am. Also, the list of careers that are perfect for me includes my job role today (some on the list I found a little off – politician, Religious Minister … don’t see me making that career move … ever).
You would most enjoy a career that allows you to meet new people. You would also be happiest in a career that allows you to be free and flexible, and allows you to be extremely creative. Some careers that would be perfect for you are:
* Stockbroker
* Secretary
* Receptionist
* Director
* Recruitment Consultant
* Politician
* Marketing
* Human Resources Manager
* Religious Minister
* Teacher
* Lawyer
* Advertising
* Consultant
* Financial Adviser
* Financial Planner
* GP
* Physical Therapy
* Occupational Therapy
* Public Relations
* Estate Agent
* Travel Agent
* Restauranteur
* Hotel Manager
* Events Organizer
You are a great leader. You genuinely enjoy being around other people. Your relationships with others are very important to you. You love talking and meeting new people. You are very enthusiastic about work and about all that you do and have in your life. You love being the focus of attention. You enjoy a fast pace. You are very socially oriented. Therefore, you are much happier being with others than you are alone. You crave interaction with others.
You are very spontaneous and often act before you think. You are always quick to answer when you are asked a question, even if you aren’t sure of the answer. It is easier for you to improvise as you go along. You enjoy thinking out loud, and are most creative when brainstorming with friends or colleagues. You enjoy being involved in many activities.
You are very easy to read, and often wear your heart on your sleeve. You are never afraid to tell people what you think. You are very empathetic and genuine. You can sometimes be seen as over-emotional or too involved by others. But that is only because you tend to get so involved in the things you do that they become personal. You want to be adored, loved and appreciated. You like to please others and to make sure people are happy.
You trust your gut instincts. You are easily inspired and trust that inspiration. You are very innovative. You analyze things by looking at the big picture. You are concerned about how what you do affects others. You worry about your actions and the future. You tend to use a lot of metaphors and are very descriptive and colourful in your choice of language.
You are very creative, and get bored easily if you don’t get to express yourself. You like to learn new things. You don’t like the same old routine. You like to leave your options open.
I’m very interested in seeing what careers suit your personality. Please take a look at the quiz and if you have time, take it and share. The results are interesting.
