What is the difference between marketing and selling? My old VP of Marketing buddy said it well: «Selling is getting rid of something you’ve got. Marketing is having something you can get rid of.» A successful marketing oriented company is not product driven. Its success comes because of its focus on customers and their needs and wants.

A selling orientation is one, through which a company emphasizes its products with the main aim of maximizing sales.

A marketing orientation begins by examining the needs of the prospective users of a product. Even the details of the product design are driven by paying particular attention to the needs and wishes of the customer. Profits will result from having satisfied customers.

In a business plan, companies will generally make a «forecast» of sales revenue on a month-by-month basis for the next few years. How can a company say that in May of next year it will generate sales of $2.3 million from Product A? Is this a guess?

If a company says it «plans» to achieve sales of $2.3 million, it is implied that there are specific activities that have been defined that will lead to this target. To this end, the distribution channels for the product must be defined. Pricing assumptions have to be tested and adjusted. Advertising budgets and schedules must be worked out. Most importantly, the resources required to achieve the desired sales level must be calculated. How many salespersons will be needed? What level of technical support is necessary?