The Marketing Plaza

How is Marketing different from Sales?

If I’ve been asked it once, I’ve been asked it many times. It’s an ironic question given that Marketing is largely about image awareness, and if there’s one discipline with both image and awareness problems, it’s Marketing.

Here’s my answer: What separates Marketing from Sales is the difference between Traction and Action. From Isaac Newton, we know that “To every action there is always opposed an equal reaction.” But, the real question is how do you get action to occur in the first place? It’s called Traction, or Marketing.

The very definition of traction is “pulling power.” That’s Marketing in a nutshell. It is anything and everything that draws or “pulls” the prospect to you.  In today’s climate, people have many choices. What helps them choose you? What draws them to you?

Of course you’ve got to have the goods or services that are wanted or needed. That’s business basics.  But, Marketing is not a “Field of Dreams.” If you build it, they will not come, not without word-of-mouth, or other viral marketing. The world will no longer beat a path to your door, unless you first blaze the trail with very clear markers.  So, take a break from baseball, and a hint from seasoned hikers.  Make it easy for those behind you to find the trail. Leave clear “markers” of where to go, and clear signs of the heady view ahead to keep them moving towards you. That’s traction.