The Difference Between Selling and Marketing

If you want to make your business successful, you need to be clear about the difference between selling and marketing and why your focus should be on marketing. Selling involves a one-time transaction, while marketing is all about developing relationships with your customers.

Getting customers to buy from you is the lifeblood of your business. Without paying customers, you will not be able to keep your doors open for very long. Selling, though, has developed a bad name over time. Think of the traditional "salesman" who is a bit sleazy and will do anything to get the customer's signature on the order - whether the product being offered is something that will provide a benefit and real value to them or not.

Marketing is a completely different proposition altogether. Instead of being about trying to persuade the customer to buy something they don't really need, it looks at who your prospective customers are. Only by determining who your target market is will you be able to figure out what they need.

Your marketing effort should start by your getting a very clear picture of who your customers are. How old are they? Where do they live and work? What do their daily lives look like?

Then you focus on the challenges that your customers are facing and how your product or service can help them. Picture yourself and your business as a problem-solver for your customers. Your efforts to draw attention to your business should focus on how you can help you customers do something better, quicker or easier.

Do you see the difference between selling and marketing? Selling is all about the company distributing the product, while marketing is a customer-focused activity. When you convince a prospect that what your business has to offer will help to improve his or her life in some manner, you are well on your way to turning this person into a paying customer.

Marketing may take more time than selling, but your business will experience better growth from a stable of repeat customers than focusing your attention on making a one-time sale.