Recently, I heard about a business owner who when asked if he needed any marketing services say: "I don't need marketing. I have a sales person." While the comment was well-intentioned by this individual, it was also dead wrong. Why? Because selling and marketing are not the same things, despite a commonly held belief to the contrary. In fact, just because a company has a selling effort in place does not mean it doesn't need a marketing effort. Just the opposite is true!
In a nutshell, selling is a subset of marketing. That's right. While many large (and even some small) companies like to separate the two functions, the reality is that direct selling is one element in a total array of marketing functions that are designed to find, attract, acquire and retain customers. Direct selling is one way to do that, but it's not the only way. In fact, the most successful selling efforts are supported, strengthened or totally dependent upon other marketing efforts, and any serious selling strategy should be carefully integrated into a total strategic marketing effort.
To prove my point, let's use the State Farm Insurance company. State Farm has agents who sell life, health, auto and other insurance and investment products, and those agents are the main reason for the company's financial success. But where would those agents be without the strong brand name recognition the company enjoys? How much less successful would those agents be if the company didn't advertise on television, radio or in print, including its highly recognizable slogan - "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there?" When the agents meet with prospective customers, how important is it that their friends who have policies have been treated well and fairly? The reality is - those direct selling agents are highly dependent on the effectiveness of the total marketing effort by the company. Direct selling is not an island in and of itself. It is part of a larger whole. In fact, some companies (including insurance companies) are doing away with agents and selling to people directly over the Internet or by mail or phone. They're still marketing; they're just marketing with elements other than direct selling.
What about your selling and marketing efforts? Are they integrated or poles apart? Is your direct selling effort being enhanced by other marketing elements or is it being sabotaged? Conversely, are you direct selling efforts hurting your total marketing effort, especially our targeting and positioning strategies? For example, is your salesperson saying things that run counter to what you believe or promote? Remember, if you get your targeting and positioning right, you'll get your direct selling right. Don't fall for the belief that you don't need marketing just because you are selling. Nothing could be further from the truth.