Difference Between Sales and Marketing

Sales vs. marketing: A comparison

Marketing and sales play a vital role in generating revenue. Each team plays a complementary role to the other and contributes to the bottom line; however, sales and marketing create transactions from different angles. So instead of asking if sales or marketing is better, managers should instead assess each team’s strengths and weaknesses.
We’ll outline some essential differences below:
Approach and process Teams and roles
Goals Prospects
Strategies and tactics Tools and resources

Smarketing: How sales and marketing work together

As previously mentioned, “smarketing” refers to aligning sales and marketing operations. Even though uniting sales and marketing efforts can boost revenue by up to 208 percent, the Zendesk State of Sales report notes that only 35 percent of firms do so.
Ensuring the two departments stay on the same page isn’t necessarily easy, but it is vital for long-term growth. In order for sales and marketing to work together, rely on the five Cs of smarketing: communication, consistency, coordination, clarity, and core team.

Communication

Breaking down silos between sales and marketing involves frequent communication. To keep both teams on the same page, set up systems and policies that promote collaboration. More specifically, you can align sales and marketing with these strategies:

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  Host regular meetings with both departments
  
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  Define common terms for consistency across teams
  
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  Identify key performance indicators sales reps and marketers share
  
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  Acquire technology to support communication initiatives
  
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  Ensure agents, managers, and senior leaders all support alignment
  

Consistency

Keeping branding, tone, key performance indicators (KPIs), and company values consistent across departments is essential to instituting a winning marketing and sales plan.
Improve consistency by:

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  Creating clear brand messaging information to use in sales and marketing
  
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  Working within standardized processes marketing and sales teams will recognize
  
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  Aligning on broader company KPIs and priorities
  
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  Cultivating a culture that speaks to company values