Marketing vs Selling...There IS a Difference

Last Update: June 21, 2010
Hey everyone,
Wayne here again.
 
As we continue to build on our foundation 
for building a profitable Internet business, we've
covered the following...
 
- 3 Facts to Guide Your Internet Income Generation Strategy
 
- Quality traffic volume trumps any kind of traffic volume
 
Now, before I go on, now's probably a good time to
address what I consider to be an essential business
building principle.  That principle is...
 
Have an appreciation for the distinction between Marketing
and Selling
 
 
Here's the difference, in my humble opinion of course,
and feel free to comment: 
 
MARKETING is identifying a group of people 
with a specific problem, letting them know 
that you can solve the problem, and telling 
them where they can get details about the 
solution to the problem. 
 
SELLING is providing specific information 
about the solution to people who've expressed 
an interest in the "MARKETING MESSAGE", so 
they can decide if they want to buy the 
solution being offered. 
 
MARKETING is about GETTING PEOPLE TO LOOK 
at what you have to offer. 
 
SELLING is about HELPING PEOPLE DECIDE TO BUY 
what you have to offer. 
 
For example. 
 
If I said...I own ABCD.com and we make shoes 
that let you walk on water, if you'd like to 
know more please provide your name and email address 
and we'll send you complete details OR enter your name and 
e-mail address to enter our web site that provides full details 
on this fantastic new product. THIS IS MARKETING! 
 
NOW, on the other hand
 
If you were to enter your name and email address 
to get the details mentioned in the "MARKETING MESSAGE", 
or you access the product web site, you discover that 
the shoes are $250, that one size fits all, that they come 
with a lifetime guarantee, that they're endorsed by a 
famous athlete, etc., etc,. THIS IS SELLING! 
 
Bottom line, if someone provides you with contact data 
or opts-in to your web/blog site, so they can look at 
what you have to offer, then the MARKETING task is done. 
 
It's over. You have a prospect! 
 
The SALES task, on the other hand, is the responsibility 
of the company that supplies the product or service 
(the solution) being marketed. 
 
When the company, (that delivers the solution) provides 
enough compelling information for prospects to determine 
that their desired result/problem can be achieved/solved 
through buying the product or service, then prospects 
become customers and as marketers we get paid 
because a sale has occurred as a result of our 
marketing efforts. 
 
Just to be clear...I'm not saying that Marketer's 
don't play a role in the sales process.  We do. 
 
Our job is to keep the marketing message 
in front of the prospective buyer, so the sales message 
can do the selling.
 
The reason that many struggle to make money online or off
with a given opportunity or program is that they've
been conditioned to believe that SELLING a given product
or service is their responsibility.
 
Again, While we do play a part, our primary responsibility 
is to MARKET.
 
As always, your comments are appreciated.  Let's discuss...
 
Until we correspond again,
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