For Sale

Sales. Marketing. Synonyms? Or similarities. For every person that says they are different, albeit similar, there’s someone that says they are one and the same. To answer that question, all you have to do is look at any company that sells something, whether it’s a product or service. There’s a Marketing Department, and then there’s a Sales Division. Department vs Division. Sounds similar, huh? A Department consists of a team of individuals working together for one cause. A Division is made up of individuals working independently, for the cause of the company, but ultimately, for one’s own survival; also, the combination of several departments. Not all Divisions are like this, though. But the Sales Division is self-explanatory – divide being the root word here.

Marketing – the art of advertising a product or service to a particular section of the public via media outlets such as printed ads, television commercials, and the internet, among others. Nothing is sold. Only brought to the attention of the buyer. Sales, on the other hand, is the hands-on connection to the buyer and the attempt to actually sell the product or service, either directly, or through some sort of barter or trade for other products or services.

I love Marketing, but I hate Sales. It’s a personal thing. And not because I can’t sell. Nooo, it’s because I hate selling. Unless it’s something I can get behind 100%. Which is the wrong reason to go into Sales. Unless you plan to sell the same thing for the rest of your life. How many in Sales believe in their product or service 100%? Most in Sales are in Sales because they can sell. What they’re selling doesn’t matter. And that leads to you not mattering. And that’s the part I hate. Trying to sell you something you either don’t have, thought you didn’t need, and probably want. Their livelihood depends on it. Their commission check at the end of the month depends on it.

I’ve done both, briefly, so I suppose it would be easy for a veteran to point out the inconsistencies in my theories. Maybe. But most of my experience is in Purchasing, in the corporate sector, as the buyer/customer. I’ve heard every line, angle and approach there is. My answers come quick and unexpected. The best example I can give you, which is my usual general response, is when office supply and toner companies come calling.

First and foremost, the selling point has always been pricing. No exception. I’ve yet to receive a call where anything was being offered other than better pricing. And the first thing I always reply with is I have contract pricing. They know what this is and I know they know this, but they always say they can beat my supplier by 20%. I always reply, “Of course you can. You weren’t paying attention. You can beat my supplier’s prices by 20% assuming I’m paying retail cost. I just told you I have contract pricing. You’re insulting my intelligence. Contract pricing is 25% below retail.”

As expected, their response is always to the effect of, ‘don’t you want to save your company money?’ Always. But what salespeople fail to realize is that pricing is negotiable, service is more important. If you can match or beat my supplier’s prices, all I have to do is go to my supplier and request a lower price. And I’ll get it.

The difference here is service, which is what they’ll never understand, considering how many times I’ve had to explain it to them. If the service is superior, why change. Especially for pricing that can be renegotiated any time. If the service is just good, that’s okay. Issues will always arise, but if they are taken care of expeditiously, there’s still no need to change. That’s a part of the service area: crisis management. The other important factor here is the amount of time, energy, cost and training to switch to another company. Remember: if it’s a national account, chances are, all offices are linked together. Even after explaining all this, they usually still push their pricing, I simply hang up. They just don’t get it.

Or do, but don’t let on, and almost always go back to pricing. My favorite laugh is when they throw in the line, “Give us the chance and you won’t be sorry.” As if that’s a guarantee. If I switch from what I have and know to something I’ve never known, I guarantee you, I will be sorry.

Click. Click. Boom.