The constant battle between sales and marketing reflects a grave failure to manage effectively.
It is often the case that managers need to be reminded that, while the bottom line might well be the end-all of business activity, the top line, quite literally, comes first.
You can forget about
business development unless you have somebody making the crucial decision to purchase from you, because otherwise there won’t be any profit, only expense.
When this is considered, it seems ironic that the vital process of sales has long been ranked behind the younger business discipline of marketing.
It is true that some people are out-and-out sellers who are uncomfortable with ‘soft’ issues like planning, strategy and branding. However, it is also true that planners, strategists and brand managers are well behind the front line.
The sales person is a crucial contact because the customer is outside the company’s control.
For successful business development, sales and marketing must pull together or the bottom line will be destroyed by the mistakes at the top.
For more on business development, see http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/business-management/business-development.php
Posted By Thinking Managers at 10:45 AM in Category:
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