A Comparative Study on Sales and Marketing in Asia Pacific Region

A Comparative Study on Sales and Marketing in Asia Pacific Region

1Swapan Kumar Saha, 2Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, 3Chandan Kumar Sarkar,

4Suman Chowdhury,

1Department of Business Administration, 2Department of Physics, 3Department of Economics,

4Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Dhaka-1230, Bangladesh

Abstract

As we know that from ancient age human being related to exchange their goods and service with each another. From those sales was created as vital part of human life as till now. Marketing create value of product which helps increase the customer satisfaction and also help to gaining more organizational profit. Among the Asia-Pacific region like Australia, Chain, Japan, India, Pakistan and others marketing is now a world-encompassing discipline. Generally it seems that both marketing and sales are same. But actually they are in the same column of two rows. You cannot separate them from each other but they are different in nature. To increase sales and generate customers you need an effective marketing exercise.

1. Introduction

   The English word Marketing comes from the English word market which has derived from the Latin word Mercatus. Market is the place or media of exchange product or service to the customers.

   Or we can say that,

   Marketing is traditionally the means by which an organization communicates to, connects with, and engages its target audience to convey the value of and ultimately sell its products and services.[1]

   According to the American Marketing Association Board of Directors: Marketing is the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.[2]

   Dr.PhilipKotler defines marketing as the science and art of exploring, creating, and delivering value to satisfy the needs of a target market at a profit. Marketing identifies unfulfilled needs and desires. It defines measures and quantifies the size of the identified market and the profit potential. It pinpoints which segments the company is capable of serving best and it designs and promotes the appropriate products and services [3].

   Marketing create from utility, time utility, place utility and possession utility to add value of product which helps increase the customer satisfaction and also help to gaining more organizational profit.

   Example, Corporation advertisement of Nirma. The brand icon of the young girl has adorned the package of Nirma washing powder for years. The jingle the accompanies Nirmas television advertisement has become one of the most enduring tunes in the history of Indian advertising.[10]

   Sales is an agreement by which one of the contracting parties, called the seller, gives a thing and passes the title to it, in exchange for a certain price in current money, to the other party, who is called the buyer or purchaser, who, on his part, agrees to pay such price. [4]

   For example, H.B. Bicycle company deliveries a special bicycle for the students. The selling price of per bicycle is 7800 taka. When a student buys a bicycle by paying price of 7800 taka then it should be sale for H.B. Bicycle Company.

   Sale is important for every business organization because by selling business organization deliveries products or services to customer in return of money or other compensation. So, by selling customer gets chance to enjoy the product or service and could fulfill his/ her demand. The organization gets money from customer so that organization could continue its production. Sales are important both for customer and business organization. By analysis cost and selling price a business organization can understand is the organization making profit or loss.

2. Comparison between Sales and Marketing

   In general we use marketing and selling as synonyms. Sales and marketing are closely interlinked and are aimed at increasing revenue. As sales and marketing are closely intertwined, but there is a substantial difference between both the concepts and it becomes hard to realize the difference between the two. It is necessary to understand the differences between them for a

   successful marketing manager. In small firms, one cannot come across much difference between sales and marketing. But bigger firms have made clear distinction between marketing and sales and they have specialized people handling them independently.[6][7]

   Selling has a product focus and mostly producer driven. It is the action part of marketing only and has short term goal of achieving market share. The emphasis is on price variation for closing the sale where the objective can be stated, as I must somehow sell the product. This short term focus does not consider a prudential planning for building up the brand in the market place and winning competitive advantage through a high loyal set of customers. The end means of any sales activity is maximizing profits through sales maximization [6, 7].

   1. Prospecting and awareness: Marketing includes research (identifying needs of the customer), development of products (producing innovative products) and promoting the product (through advertisements) and create awareness about the product among the consumers. As such marketing means generating leads or prospects. Once the product is out in the market, it is the task of the sales person to persuade the customer to buy the product. sales means converting the leads or prospects into purchases and orders.[6]

      Key Difference

      Marketing	Sales
      Marketing means generating leads or prospects.	Sales mean converting the leads or prospects into purchases and orders.

      .

   2. Time and goals: While marketing is aimed at longer terms, sales pertain to shorter goals. Marketing involves a longer process of building a name for a brand and pursuing the customer to buy it even if they do not need it. Where is sales only involve a short term process of finding the target consumer.[6]

      For example, Dell. Asus, Acer, Apple laptop need a long time to create their brand but they need few times to Sale and to find whom to sale.

      they do not need it.

   3. Interaction with customers: Marketing can be called as a footboard for sales. It prepares the ground for a sales person to approach a consumer. Marketing as such is not direct and it uses various methods like advertising, brand marketing, public relations, direct mails and viral marketing for creating an awareness of the product. Sales are really interpersonal interactions. Sales involve one- on-one meetings, networking and calls.[6]

      For example, to sale Samsung 3D TV, marketer are doing some activities like TV, online, newspaper advertisement to create awareness of this product and in sales they interact by personal meetings, Networking, Direct calls and email.

      Key Difference

      Marketing	Sales
      Marketing can be called as a footboard for sales.	Sales are really interpersonal interactions

   4. Demand and activities: Marketing is creating the demand in the market while sales are fulfilling that demand. Marketing is more related with branding while sales are related with one on one marketing.

      For example, when you do all activities to reach mass audiences and consumers to create demand then you are doing maketing and when you are reaching with your prospects one by one via direct calls then you are doing sales. It means sales is a direct activity while marketing is indirect activity.[8]

      Marketing	Sales
      e.g. Antivirus suppose Norton, Kasper Sky is not going to call you or mail you. They are pursuing you by creating demand to buy their product.	When Norton will sale their product to customer.

      • Marketing is creating the demand in the market

      • marketing is indirect activity

      • Sales is fulfilling that demand

      • sales is a direct activity

      Marketing	Sales
      e.g. Antivirus suppose Norton, Kasper Sky is not going to call you or mail you. They are pursuing you by creating demand to buy their product.	When Norton will sale their product to customer.

      • Marketing is creating the demand in the market

      • marketing is indirect activity

      • Sales is fulfilling that demand

      • sales is a direct activity

      Key Difference

      Marketing	Sales
      Marketing involves a longer process of building a name for a brand and pursuing the customer to buy it even if	Sales only involve a short term of finding the target consumer.

   5. Micro and Macro: Marketing involves micro and macro analysis focusing on strategic intentions while sales is concerned with the challenges and relations with the customer.

Macro-marketing refers to the overall economic/communications process that directs the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer. It includes 1) the buyer's behavior in seeking and judging goods and services; 2) the seller's efforts to draw and to persuade customers to buy; 3) the physical distribution of goods including warehousing and storage at intermediate stages; 3) product-related activities like standardization, grading, and sorting; 4) the financing of distribution at all stages, not least consumer credit; and 5) the communications processes supporting all of these activities.[9]

Micro-marketing refers to the activities of the individual providers operating within this system. Organizations or businesses use various marketing techniques to accomplish objectives related to profits, market share, cash flow, and other economic factors that can enhance their well being and position in the marketplace. [9]

And about sales, a strong relationship is essential with their customers to hold them which is a challenge for the sales people.

Key Difference

focus on man, material and money for the sale of a particular product. But sales are carried on to serve the ultimate customer. [6]

For example, Asus laptop doing lots of activities like planning, advertising for sales and customers are getting service from sales parson or retailer shop. Marketers have to describe the features, quality and reliability of a particular product they are handling to the customer. But sales follow certain criteria like prospecting, presentation, handling and finally sale of the product.

Key Difference

8) Promotion and relationship: Marketing focuses on long term concerns while sales is related with short term focus. Marketing have to done several activities. They conduct research, to educate the consumer they do promotional activities. To insure the best-selling of the product to the target people they set a price limit. There is also distribution and quality of the product they consider. And to create the brand they need years. On the other hand, sales just make the sales. And to create a good relation with the consumers they do some activities such as after sales service, informing the customer about new product which is short term.

Key Difference

1. Focus and prospect: Marketing focuses on meeting the consumer demands. They always involve in research and lots of activities to meeting the consumers demand. However, Sales only focuses on converting consumer demand match the products. The sales people emphases on changing the consumer demands which is match to the product with their consumers.

   Key Difference

   Marketing	Sales
   Marketing focuses on meeting the consumer demands.	Sales only focuses on converting consumer demand match the products

2. Techniques: Marketing involves techniques like planning; advertising; media, and it

9) Educating market: Marketing is related with educating and creating awareness of the product or service in the market. Sales is also related with educating and creating awareness but the difference is marketing do these activities on a huge scale while sales does these activities on very short scale and most of the times one on one basis.

For example, Horlicks (Indian youth product) in TV advertising saying always that you will get 3 fact, taller, stronger and sharper. Thus there are educating a huge number of customer about their product. On the other hand, when you are selling a product, you saying few customer about that product that they should take, because it is good one.

Key Difference

Conclusion

The main purpose of marketing is to increase sales and the goal of both marketing and sales is increasing revenue but they have some difference. With longer process marketing generate customers by making brand. Than sales involves in selling product by making good relation and direct communication with customers with a very short term process. Marketing is to introduced product with the consumers, create a demand and position in their mind and perused or motivate them while sales is to fulfill the demand and satisfaction and maintain a good communication with the customers. Marketing and sales both are working in same line but having some difference in their activities. If we consider sales as train than marketing will be the headlight and railway.

.

References

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