KEN SETHNEY | What’s the difference between marketing and sales?

It's common to hear "marketing" and "sales" used interchangeably. In reality, they each have distinct characteristics. Small business owners need to know the difference, so they can approach each with purpose while understanding how they need to work together to achieve success.

Marketing. Sales. What's the difference?


Marketing is typically a media-driven function. It involves the use of print, online and word-of-mouth communications to drive brand, product and service awareness.

Marketing-related activities may include:

Conducting market research to determine needs within your target market;

Setting standard pricing for products and services;


Creating collateral and communications to support your salespeople in their efforts.

Sales encompasses everything you do to seal the deal with a prospective customer.


Sales-related activities may include:

One-to-one, face-to-face interaction with prospects and customers;

Careful evaluation of specific customers' needs;

Solutions-selling to meet specific customers' needs;

Proposing special pricing when situations require straying from standard pricing;

Asking for the sale and getting a contract signed;

Follow-up phone calls and email messages to keep the lines of communication open.

Blurred lines

Realize that while marketing and sales have distinct characteristics, the lines between them have become blurred to a large degree with the advent of social media. In the past, sales professionals were primarily accountable for establishing and maintaining relationships with prospects and customers. But now, that responsibility also falls on the shoulders of marketers using channels such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google Plus and others.

Whether you are personally responsible for your small business's marketing and sales, or if you have employees performing these functions, you need a strategy to ensure your efforts are aligned.

If you need guidance in how to make your marketing and sales activities complement each other so you can build and grow your company, contact SCORE — Mentors to America's Small Business.


• SCORE is a nonprofit organization with more than 12,000 volunteers who provide free, confidential business mentoring and training workshops to small business owners. To contact Kitsap SCORE, email or visit

Ken Sethney is a volunteer business mentor and branch manager for Kitsap SCORE. He is a former ad agency creative director and marketing coach who worked with the owners of midsize companies throughout the U.S. Contact Ken via email at