August 2003

Battle for supremacy? Sales vs. marketing

Or "What the heck does 'integrated marketing communications' mean anyway?"

I don't know about you, but I've observed that many companies tend to think of marketing as the poor second-cousin to sales. Often the two groups are made to squabble over scarce resources and even vie for favored status among company executives. After all, it is people who make up the plans that decide where and how money is spent.

The reality is that sales and marketing are totally interdependent. Any time you focus on one at the expense of the other, the bottom line can suffer.

In the latest edition of BtoB Professor Robert Lauterborn (professor of Advertising at UNC-Chapel Hill) writes this:

"Trying to produce an IMC [integrated marketing communications] program without integrating sales is like producing a battle plan that integrates the tanks and ground troops but leaves the air force to do its own thing. At best such a plan would be inefficient and wasteful of resources. At worst, it could be self-defeating. Ever heard of 'friendly fire?'"

Ah, friendly fire. Isn't that where our planes start shooting at our own guys? Well, that's about what happens when your marketing materials--newsletters, website, direct mail, brochures--are created in a vacuum without close consultation with the sales force. And/or when your materials are produced without a clear and deep understanding by the creators of what the "true voice" of your company is saying.

Do you know what the true voice of your company is? You'd better, because it's going to be the biggest reason you succeed in the new totally integrated world market. Just as we are--every one of us--totally unique simply because of who we are-, so too your company must stand out among an ever-growing number of competitors by finding its true voice--and using it consistently.