Daily Lab: Where sales and marketing meet

In my experience, marketing is simply demonstrating value at a distance.

Which means, for me, sales is simply demonstrating value in the moment.

Is that a precise and clean distinction? No, there’s plenty of room for nuance and overlap.

But framed this way, sales and marketing have a shared purpose and intent and are actively working toward the same goal.

Marketing gets customers closer to the business, so that sales can demonstrate more value in the moment.

And sales uses that closeness to the customer to gain insights that marketing can use to demonstrate more value at a distance.

Seen this way, sales and marketing are not different actions, they’re part of the same process.

The only difference is distance.

And when both sales and marketing are one individual’s job—like for most entrepreneurs—seeing them this way makes them easier to integrate.

You might think you’re not a salesperson. But can you demonstrate your company’s value in the moment? If you can, you’re doing sales.

You might think you hate marketing. But can you demonstrate your service’s value at a distance? If you can, you’re doing marketing.

Some days, and some moments, require one or the other. But you’re capable of doing both, because you’re focused on your customer, and where they are.

Because the customer isn’t on a journey—you are.

To find them where they are, and to demonstrate your value at that particular distance.