1.
Understand and appreciate the differences between sales and marketing
strategies
Sales Strategies focus on achieving short-term revenue targets through direct
customer engagement. They are tactical and deal with how to sell the product
effectively. Examples include cold calling, personal selling, and structuring the
salesforce.
Marketing Strategies are broader and aim at long-term market positioning and
customer satisfaction. They involve product decisions, pricing, distribution channels,
and promotional strategies. Marketing strategies provide the framework within which
sales strategies operate.
Key Difference: Sales strategies are action-oriented and focused on individual
customer interactions, while marketing strategies focus on market research,
segmentation, and positioning to shape customer perceptions and long-term growth2.
Appreciate where the key concepts fit into the planning process
The planning process follows the MOST framework:
o Mission: Defines the overall purpose of the business.
o Objectives: Establishes specific, measurable goals (e.g., increasing market
share).
o Strategy: Outlines how objectives will be achieved (e.g., adopting a cost-
leadership strategy).
o Tactics: Details operational actions (e.g., sales promotions, cold calling).
The marketing audit (both external and internal) provides the foundation for setting
these objectives and developing strategies .
component parts of the communications mix**
The communications mix (also known as the promotional mix) consists of:
1. Advertising – Paid, non-personal promotion through media.
2. Sales Promotion – Short-term incentives like discounts or offers.
3. Public Relations (PR) – Managing public image and fostering goodwill.
4. Personal Selling – Direct, face-to-face communication with potential buyers.
5. Direct Marketing – Communicating directly to customers (e.g., email, mail).
6. Interactive/Digital Marketing – Using online platforms and social media .
4. Diffeen objectives, strategies, and tactics for sales and marketing
Objectives: What the company wants to achieve (e.g., increase sales by 20%).
Strategies: How to reach the objectives (e.g., using a customer-focused approach).
Tactics: Specific actions to implement strategies (e.g., launching a promotional
campaign).
For example, if the objective is to increase market share, the strategy might focus on a
differentiation approach, and the tactics could include targeted advertising and personalized
sales techniques .
Below is a structured answer that directly reflects the content from Chapter 2 “The
marketing concept” of Selling and Sales Management, 11e. The answers are based on
the text rather than personal opinions.
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Understanding the Concept of Marketing
The chapter explains that the marketing concept is founded on the idea that a company’s
success and profitability depend on accurately identifying and satisfying customer needs and
wants. To be marketing‐oriented, a company must change its internal practices and attitudes
by adopting a “technology of marketing” – that is, developing tools (both quantitative and
qualitative) to understand customer behavior, segment markets, and target customer groups
effectively. This customer focus is a fundamental shift from older production or sales
orientations and requires the whole organization to place the customer at the center of
strategic planning.
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Discussing the Marketing Mix
The chapter details the marketing mix as the set of controllable variables that a company can
use to satisfy customer needs. Traditionally defined by the 4Ps – product, price, promotion,
and place – the text also notes that many businesses extend the mix (with additional Ps such
as people, process, and physical evidence) especially in service contexts. Product decisions,
for example, not only determine the potential sales ceiling but also interact with pricing,
promotional activities, and distribution strategies to ensure the offering is aligned with
customer expectations.
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Identifying How Sales Fits into Marketing Planning
Sales is portrayed as a crucial interface between the customer and the company. The chapter
shows that while marketing sets the overall objectives and strategy, the sales function
contributes essential market intelligence—such as customer feedback, competitor activity,
and real-time data on market trends—which in turn refines marketing plans. Moreover,
specific sales objectives (including targets for volume, market share, profitability, and service
levels) are integrated into the marketing plan. This integration ensures that sales teams are not
only executing the marketing strategy but are also involved in its formation, ensuring that
plans are realistic and customer-focused.
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Recognising the Importance of Sales and Marketing Cooperation
The text emphasizes that for a company to achieve competitive success, sales and marketing
must work in tandem. Effective cooperation ensures that marketing strategies are grounded in
the realities of the marketplace as reported by the sales force. However, the chapter also notes
that this relationship is often fraught with challenges—such as poor coordination, conflicts,
and lack of trust. To overcome these issues, senior management support is vital. Practical
measures such as sharing objective, fact-based research, encouraging two-way
communication, and even situating sales and marketing teams in close physical proximity can
help achieve the necessary alignment and improve overall performance.
Below is a summary of Chapter 1’s answers to its objectives, based directly on the chapter’s
discussion and examples:
1. Understand the implications of production, sales, marketing and
service orientations
• The chapter explains that companies have historically followed one of five
business philosophies. A production orientation stresses cost efficiency and mass
production when demand exceeds supply. In contrast, a product orientation focuses on
quality and continuous improvement, assuming customers choose based on
superiority of the product. A selling orientation is concerned with aggressively
pushing products, often leading to high-pressure tactics. The marketing orientation,
however, places the customer at the heart of business planning by identifying needs
and creating value. Finally, the service orientation goes further by emphasising not
only the product but also the value of supporting and servicing the customer, often
through co-creation of benefits. Together, these orientations shape how firms plan
their operations, develop products, and interact with customers, and the shift toward
marketing and service orientations reflects today’s customer-centred market
environment , .
2. Appreciate why selling generally has a negative image
• The text highlights that many people associate selling with negative attributes
such as immorality, dishonesty, and aggressiveness. These views stem from long-held
misconceptions—for instance, the belief that “good products sell themselves”
(making the act of selling unnecessary) or that the sales process inherently involves
high-pressure tactics. Such stereotypes contribute to a perception that selling is a low-
status, even degrading, career. However, the authors argue that these negative images
are based on misunderstandings; in reality, selling is a professional, skill‐based
activity that is essential for communicating customer benefits and gathering valuable
market feedback , .
3. Know where selling fits into the marketing mix
• According to the chapter, selling is not an isolated function—it is a key
component of the overall marketing mix. It forms part of the promotional (or
communication) mix by providing direct, face‐to‐face contact with customers.
Through personal interaction, salespeople not only close transactions but also collect
customer feedback and help shape product development and marketing strategies. In
modern practice, selling complements other promotional activities such as advertising
and direct marketing, and it is increasingly integrated with internet and relationship
marketing tactics .
4. Identify the responsibilities of sales and the sales role
• The chapter outlines that the core responsibility of selling (or salesmanship) is to
make a sale—a process that involves identifying customer needs, presenting solutions,
handling objections, negotiating, and closing the deal. Beyond these primary
functions, salespeople perform several secondary tasks that are critical for long-term
success. These include prospecting for new customers, managing customer databases,
self-managing their schedules, and providing post-sale service. Such a multifaceted
role ensures that salespeople act as the main link between the customer and the
company, contributing both to immediate sales and to strategic feedback for
continuous improvement , .
5. Recognise the significance of selling as a career
• In addressing career perceptions, the chapter dispels the myth that selling is
unworthy of a professional career. It stresses that many salespeople find their work
challenging, rewarding, and full of opportunities for personal growth and high
earnings—often through commission or bonus schemes that reward performance.
Moreover, the role is valued for its autonomy and the chance to build long-term
customer relationships. The discussion reinforces that selling is a dynamic career that
requires a blend of interpersonal skills, resilience, and ethical practice, ultimately
offering significant professional satisfaction and financial rewards
