Define the relationship between sales and marketing, along with a brief discussion of the marketing mix.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Sales is the function of selling a good or service and focuses on increasing customer sales, which
increases company revenues. A salesperson has the main activity of selling a product or service. Many
industries require a license before a salesperson can sell the products, such as real estate, insurance and
securities. Marketing is the process associated with promoting the sale of goods or services. The
marketing department supports the sales department by creating promotions that help sell the company's
products. Marketing communications seek to build product or service awareness and to educate potential
consumers on the product or service. The classic components of marketing include the four Ps in the
marketing mix: product, price, place and promotion. The marketing mix includes the variables that
marketing managers can control in order to best satisfy customers in the target market. Product - the
physical product or service offered to the consumer. Product decisions include function, appearance,
packaging, service, warranty, etc. Price - takes into account profit margins and competitor pricing. Pricing
includes list price, discounts, financing and other options such as leasing. Place (distribution) - associated
with channels of distribution that serve as the means for getting the product to the target customers.
Attributes involved in place decisions include market coverage, channel member selection, logistics and
levels of service. Promotion - related to the communication and selling to potential consumers. An
organization can perform a break-even analysis when making promotion decisions. If an organization
knows the value of each customer, it can determine whether additional customers are worth the coast of
acquisition. Attributes involved in promotion decisions involve advertising, public relations, media types,
etc.