Last night, I received another message from one of my students, and he wanted to know what the difference was between the sale and the marketing. Because he's not the only one asking me the question and even less the only one who wants to understand the difference between selling and making marketing, so I thought a little explanation was in order.

Let's start with Selling ...
The "sale" is an agreement by which a person called "the seller" assigns, to another person called "the buyer", his rights of ownership on a thing or a value belonging to him.

To sell is to exchange goods or services for something of value. Basically every time the money changes hands. In reality, it is much more than that. The art of selling is the ability to influence others in the way they think and act. Basically it's the art of persuasion.

If you think it's a little shady what I say, then do not worry. We all use persuasion techniques every day, whether we are aware of it or not. As long as we get others to do or say things we want, then we sell in some way. But hey, there should still be money in the middle. Because persuasion alone is not selling.

To sell you need:

  • Know your product and / or service
  • Know who he is talking to and what problem he is solving
  • Make an irresistible offer (features - price - quality - bonus - support - money back guarantee - etc…)

What about marketing ?
Most entrepreneurs are generally mistaken when it comes to defining internet marketing and even outside. They think marketing and sales are one and the same, but it's FALSE!

Marketing is getting your target market to desire your product and / or service. The marketing of a product is its promotion and not its sale. Beyond a simple promotion, you should know that marketing finds its strength in targeting.

Communication is better when it is targeted. If a good message is addressed to the bad person, so it becomes bad, but if a wrong message is addressed to the good personthen he becomes necessarily good and efficient at the same time.

The application must exist. Instead of addressing everyone, you'd better address those who need you and what you have to offer. These are ready to lend you their ears. You need their attention to sell.

To do marketing you need to:

  • Know and understand your target
  • Find the best way to communicate with her
  • Choose the best tools to facilitate this communication

Without an existing market, there is no targeting and without targeting there is no effective marketing, and without effective marketing, there is simply no sales so no money or lucrative business.

Selling needs marketing to exist and generate revenue, but marketing does not need selling to exist.

You can ensure the promotion of a good product without selling it.

Do you see the difference now?

Do you have anything to add ?