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News Release from: Derek Carpenter Marketing | Subject: Sales and marketing skills
Edited by the Marketingservicestalk Editorial
Team on 14 February 2008
Marketers with a sales background add
value
Marketing services seem to be on offer everywhere these days and claims of skills are many, and a sales background can boost marketing competence, argues Derek Carpenter.
My background for years was specialist sales and my need to develop leading brand management made me turn to marketing to see if I could fine tune my skills Some years later I find myself a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Maketing with my name to be added to the Chartered Marketer list to be issued in July 2008
This article was originally published on Marketingservicestalk on 11 Jan 2008 at 8.00am (UK)
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I remain a Fellow of the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management and never cease to be amazed at the culture that sales and marketing are at odds with each other.
One reason for this difficulty results from companies often having separate heads of department for sales and marketing.
Some people argue that there is a cultural conflict between marketing and sales.
It's reflected in the belief that marketing is "high concept" while sales is "real world"; marketing is "long term" while sales is "seize the moment".
Sadly, the two have never fully blended.
I can vouch entirely for the fact that well thought out, well deployed targeting of marketing adds enormous results.
Forward-thinking companies see the strength of the two working together.
Those companies looking for external support with their marketing objectives are well advised to find a qualified marketer with a sales background.
Marketing works only when it engages the target audience.
Marketing operates in a diverse range of environments but must inform or call for action.
A good marketer measures what the thinking of his/her audience is and responds to that need, to clarify, inform and meet real needs.
With most information we receive our immediate question is "Am I likely to find this of value?".
It's much the same as a presentation or talk by a speaker.
It needs to have a good thought-catching introduction, a middle that persuades and an ending that is easy to remember and creates a response.
Good marketing comes from that first good understanding of the target audience needs.
Recently I heard someone say to a sales group that price is a crucial decision influencer and data showed that 30 per cent of audiences acknowledge this as their priority.
What marketing does is recognise that 70 per cent of people will pay a price if its benefit/value is validated.
In this they recognise a target audience and respond to to the thoughts or needs of the many.
Marketing budgets need to be allocated into the hands of someone who is a thinker, good tactician and fully committed to showing how his or her work influenced results.
Whenever possible it helps to find these combined skills to gain the added value you are seeking.
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