Everything you need to know about the key differences between marketing and selling.
Selling is only a part of the process of marketing whereas marketing is a much wider term which includes selling and much more.
Marketing is much wider than selling and much more dynamic. There is a fundamental difference between the two in approach as well as in the very philosophy on which the two processes rest.
Selling revolves around the needs and interests of the seller; marketing revolves around the needs and interests of the buyer.
Difference Between Marketing and Selling
Difference between Marketing and Selling
The main difference between marketing and selling lies in their approach. Marketing is basically consumer-oriented. Selling on the other hand is product-oriented.
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1. Scope – The scope of the term ‘marketing’ is much wider than that of the term “selling”. Selling is one of the activities performed in marketing. Marketing includes all activities starting with the idea of producing a commodity in accordance with the needs of the customers and ending with the satisfaction of customers even after selling the commodity. On the other hand selling refers to distribution of products already manufactured by the firm. Selling focuses on Sellers needs of converting his goods into cash.
2. Object of Profit – The object of marketing is to earn profits through satisfaction of customer’s needs and desires. The profitability of a marketing oriented firm mainly depends on production of qualitative products to win the appreciation of consumers. Selling concentrates on earning profit on sale of more quantity of products.
3. Orientation – Marketing is consumer oriented and therefore it includes pre-production and post-sale activities. Selling is basically production oriented and concentrates much on production.
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4. Emphasis – Emphasis is given on product planning and development to match products with markets. It emphasises as introducing new technology. Whereas in selling, emphasis is placed on sale of goods already produced. It emphasizes on reducing cost of production with a view to maximize profits.
5. Principle – In marketing the principle of caveat vendor (let the seller beware) is followed, whereas in selling the principle of caveat emptor (let buyer beware) is followed.
6. Importance – The consumer occupies the prime of place in marketing process. He is given supreme importance by treating customer as a king. Product occupies pride of place in selling i.e., Product enjoys supreme importance.
Difference between Marketing and Selling – 8 Major Differences
Difference # Selling:
i. Selling starts with the seller is preoccupied all the time with the needs of the seller; seller is the centre of the business universe; activities start with existing products.
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ii. Emphasizes on saleable surpluses available within the corporation; seeks to quickly convert ‘products’ into ‘cash’; concerns itself with the tricks and techniques of getting the customers to part with heir cash for the products available with the salesman.
iii. Views business as a ‘goods producing process’.
iv. Overemphasizes the ‘exchange’ aspect without caring for the ‘value satisfactions’ inherent in the exchange.
v. Seller’s convenience dominates the formulation of the ‘marketing mix’
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vi. The firm makes the product first and then figures out how to sell it and make profit.
vii. Emphasizes on staying with the existing technology and reducing the cost of production.
viii. Seller’s motives dominate marketing communications.
Difference # Marketing:
i. Marketing starts with the buyer and focuses constantly of the needs of the buyer; buyer is the centre of the business universe; activities follow the buyer and his needs.
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ii. Emphasizes on identification of a market opportunity, seeks to convert customer ‘needs’ into products’; emphasizes on fulfilling the needs of the customers.
iii. Views business as a ‘customer satisfying process’.
iv. Concerns itself primarily and truly with the Value satisfactions’ that should flow to the customer from the exchange.
v. Buyer determines the shape the ‘marketing mix’ should take.
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vi. What is to be offered as a ‘product’ is determined by the customer, the firm makes a ‘total product offering’ that would match and satisfy the identified needs of the customers; the ‘product’ is the consequence of the marketing effort; the marketing effort leads to products that the customers would actually want to buy in their own interest.
vii. Emphasizes on innovation in every sphere; on providing better value to the customer by adopting the most innovative technology.
viii. Marketing communications is looked upon as the tool for communicating the benefits/satisfactions provided by the product
Difference between Marketing and Selling
Marketing:
1. Objective/focus- Maximum satisfaction of customers.
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2. Scope- Wider scope as it involves many activities from identifying customer needs to after sale services.
3. Profit maximization- Profit is maximized through customer satisfaction.
4. Start and end of activities- Starts before production and continues even after sale of product.
5. Emphasis- Emphasis is on developing product as per customer needs.
Selling:
1. Objective/focus- Transfer of title and possession of goods from seller to buyer.
2. Scope- Narrow scope as it is only one of the activities of marketing.
3. Profit maximization- Profit is maximized trough maximizing sales.
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4. Start and End of Activities- Starts after production and ends with sale of product.
5. Emphasis- Emphasis on bending the customer according to the product.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
The growth of marketing can be traced in three stages – (1) Production, (2) Sales and (3) Marketing. The principal feature of the production era is that manufacturers turned out those goods which they themselves considered fit and their plants were capable of producing. Selling was no problem because most of the people have unsatisfied demand.
The sales era started with the beginning of this century. As more and more producers appeared on the scene, there arose competition among them. As a result, supply of goods exceeded demand. Even the best product cannot have assured sales without sales promotion and aggressive salesmanship. The selling concept gives stress on high pressure salesmanship to secure marketing success.
The marketing era began virtually after World War II. Producers found that consumers in general had their basic needs more or less satisfied. They had become more selective about their purchases. Marketing came to the rescue by helping to find out what goods were needed most, who needed them most, in what quantities they were needed and so on. This era is called the marketing era because special importance has been attached to markets and consumers.
It is clear that marketing is a comprehensive, total process while selling is only partial in character. The earlier emphasis in a business enterprise was on manufacturing a product and then finding out ways and means of selling it. Marketing starts with assessing the needs of consumers and then tries to meet them via product planning, pricing and other ways.
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Levitt offers the best contrast between selling concept and marketing concept as follows -(1) Selling focuses on the seller’s needs, marketing on the buyer’s needs. (2) Selling is pre-occupied with the seller’s need to convert his product, into cash; marketing with the idea of satisfying the customer’s needs by means of the product and the whole cluster of things associated with creating, delivering and finally consuming it. (3) Selling aims at profit through sales volume, marketing aims at profit through serving customer demand.
The differences between selling and marketing may be summed up as follows:
Selling:
1. It starts with manufacturing a product.
2. Next it turns attention how to sell and earn profit from the sale.
3. Its principle thrust is on the needs of the seller.
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4. It is pre-occupied with the need to convert product into Cash.
5. Products of the enterprise can be easily sold.
Marketing:
1. It begins with the needs and preferences of the customer.
2. The emphasis on the provision of satisfaction to customer.
3. Its principal thrust is on the needs of the buyer.
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4. It is pre-occupied with demand forecasting and product planning.
5. What is produced should be according to consumer needs and preferences.
Difference between Marketing and Selling – 10 Major Differences
Selling is only a part of the process of marketing whereas marketing is a much wider term which includes selling and much more.
The main differences are as under:
1. Scope Wide vs. Narrow:
Marketing is much wider than selling. Marketing includes all activities starting from idea of producing a product and ending with customer’s satisfaction after product is sold. Thus, it includes planning, producing selling, and serving the customers. Product line, quality, shape, design, price and channels of distribution are all based on customer’s needs as found out by market research. Selling involves efforts to sell whatever is produced without adapting production to consumer needs, preferences and is limited to ‘physical distribution’. Selling is ‘production-driven’ or ‘sales driven’ but marketing is ‘customer driven’.
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2. Object of Profit Earning (Customer’s Satisfaction vs. Sales Volume):
In marketing, object is to earn profits through customer’s satisfaction, and as such on product’s quality. In selling, emphasis is on sales volume – maximize profits through selling more quantity. Marketing is quality oriented whereas selling is quantity oriented.
3. Pre-Production Post-Sale Activities (Included vs. Excluded):
Marketing, being related with customer satisfaction, includes both pre-production and post-sale activities. Selling is concerned with transfer of goods from seller to buyer and hence not concerned with pre-production and post-sale activities. Marketing as such would lay emphasis on product design, improvement in quality and delivery schedules and better services.
4. Long-Run vs. Short-Run Perspective:
In marketing, planning is oriented to long run, or in other words, new products, tomorrow’s markets and future growth. In selling, planning is oriented to short-run in terms of today’s products/markets.
5. Orientation (Customer-Oriented vs. Product Oriented):
Marketing is consumer oriented with attention on consumer needs. Selling is production oriented, concerned with persuading buyers to purchase whatever is produced and is being offered.
Certain catch phases of consumer orientation are:
i. The purpose of business – Serving the customer
ii. Customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
iii. Customer is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
iv. He is not an interruption in our work – he is the purpose of it
v. We are not doing him favour. He is doing us a favour.
6. Technology (Innovative vs. Existing):
In marketing, emphasis is on innovation and hence adopting most innovative technology. In selling, emphasis is on reducing cost with existing technology, and maximize profit.
7. Emphasis (Buyers’ Needs vs. Sellers’ Needs):
Marketing emphasizes buyers’ needs while selling emphasizes seller’s needs.
8. Management Level (Higher vs. Lower Levels):
Marketing function in an organization is generally the responsibility of higher level of management. Selling function is generally handled by middle or lower level management.
9. Selling is Hunting while Marketing is Gardening:
This means that seller’s job is to search right customers for his products but marketer’s job is to get right products for his customers’. In fact, ‘marketing is like nurturing customers’ needs like a mother nurturing needs of her sibling.
10. Philosophy:
Selling refers to product centered “make and sell” philosophy whereas marketing refers to customer centered sense and respond philosophy.
Difference between Marketing and Selling – 10 Points of Differences
The basic difference between marketing and selling lies in the attitude towards business. The selling concept takes an inside out perspective. It starts with the factory, focuses on the company’s existing products, and calls for heavy selling and promoting to produce profitable sales.
The marketing concept takes an outside-in perspective. It starts with a well-defined market, focuses on customer needs, coordinates all the activities that will affect customers, and produces profits through creating customer satisfaction.
In marketing, the focus is on customer’s needs and the customer enjoys supreme importance. The customer’s needs are converted into products and profits are obtained through customer satisfaction. An integrated approach is practiced and the principle of “caveat vendor” (let the seller beware) is followed.
Difference # Marketing:
1. Marketing starts with the buyer and focuses mainly on the needs of the buyer.
2. Emphasizes on identification of a market opportunity; seeks to convert customer “needs” into “products”; emphasizes on fulfilling the needs of the customers.
3. Views business as – “customer satisfying process”.
4. Buyer determines the shape that the marketing mix should take.
5. Product is determined by the customer. The firm makes a product that would match and satisfy the needs of the customers.
6. Customer determines price; price determines costs.
7. The customer occupies the pride of place in any marketing scheme.
8. Marketing is concerned with planning and development of products to match the market requirements.
9. Represents an integrated approach to achieve long-term goals.
10. Emphasises on innovation in every sphere; on producing better value to the customer by adopting the most innovative technology.
Difference # Selling:
1. Selling starts with the seller and focuses mainly on the needs of the seller.
2. Emphasises on saleable surpluses available within the company; seeks to quickly convert “products” into “cash”; focuses on selling the products to customers.
3. Views business as a “goods producing process”.
4. Seller’s convenience dominates the formulation of the marketing mix.
5. The firm makes the product first and then figures out how to sell it and make profit.
6. Costs determine price.
7. The product occupies the pride of place in any selling scheme.
8. Selling is concerned with selling the goods and services which have already been produced.
9. Represents a piecemeal approach to achieve short-term goals.
10. Emphasises on following existing technology and reducing the cost of production.
In selling, the emphasis is on product planning and development to match the products with the market. The focus is on seller’s needs. The product enjoys supreme importance and the product is converted into cash and profits are earned through sales volume. The emphasis is placed on the sale of products already produced. A fragmented approach is practiced in selling. The principle of “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware) is followed.
Selling comes to an end with the delivery of the product to the customer. But marketing continues even after sale so as to provide after-sales service.
Thus marketing is a much wider term embracing selling which merely involves promotional activities.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
Marketing is much wider than selling and much more dynamic. There is a fundamental difference between the two in approach as well as in the very philosophy on which the two processes rest. Selling revolves around the needs and interests of the seller; marketing revolves around the needs and interests of the buyer.
Selling starts with the existing products of the corporation and views business as a task of somehow pushing the existing products of the corporation. Marketing on the other hand, starts with the customers, present and potential, and views business as a task of meeting the needs of the customers by producing and supplying products and services that would exactly meet the needs of the customers.
Selling seeks profits by ‘pushing’ the products on the buyers. Marketing too seeks profits-but not thought aggressive pushing of the products but by meeting the needs of the customers and by creating value satisfactions for them. In other words, marketing calls upon the corporation to choose products, prices and methods of distribution and promotion that would meet the needs of the customers. It does not unwisely limit its role to persuading the customers to accept what the corporation already as or what it can offer readily.
The difference between marketing and selling cannot be described better. A doubt might, however, arise as to how ‘selling’ is could be completely dispensed with under the ‘ marketing’ approach, ‘selling’ is certainly a part of ‘marketing’. What is actually sought to be highlighted by the playing down of ‘selling’ is the futility of the ‘pushing’ that is inherent in the sales approach.
When an organization takes to the marketing approach there is really no need for pushing the products on the customers. Peter Drucker explains this idea effectively when he says, “The aim of marketing is to make selling superfluous. Marketing means such a perfect understanding of the customer that the product or service fits him totally and sells itself. Marketing would result in a customer who is ready to buy.
All that should be needed then is to make the product or service available…. “In short, it can be said that a difference in orientation towards business is the real separating factor between selling and marketing. If the enterprise has an internal orientation concerned more about itself and its products and the need to somehow dispose of its goods, then it is practicing selling.
On the contrary, if the enterprise has a customer orientation -concerned more about the customer and his needs, and if it makes genuine efforts to satisfy those needs, then it is practicing marketing.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
While marketing can be seen as the whole process. At the point of sale, customers move from a situation where they want a product or service to actually purchasing it. There will be some products and service to actually purchasing it. There will be some products and services which customers will actively seek out with very little prompting, but usually this is not the case.
The nearer goods and services are to these ideal positions the easier they will sell. So the more closely they match customer needs, the more likely they are to ‘sell themselves’. The further away goods and services are from this ‘ideal’ the more skill is required is selling them. ‘Selling snow to Eskimos’ is a difficult process, equaled by the difficulty of ‘selling sand in the Sahara’!
If a company products the right goods, at the right price and they are available at the right time and place, selling them in unlikely to be a problem. If customers are not sure that the goods are right, or that their price is right, or that they are available at the right time and place, selling these goods will be a problem.
Double glazing window salesmen are notorious for their ‘hard-sell’ perhaps because they have products which are hard to sell. The double glazing-market is highly competitive, and there are differences is the products but it may be difficult to convince potential customers that those differences are important.
At the same time, double-glazing may be desirable for the customers but usually it is not essential and customers can put off buying it. It is seldom bought because a customer’s present windows are falling out.
the salesman’s task is an example like double glazing is to convince the customer that the product in front of them is the best available, that the price is a bargain which the customer can afford and that the product has a range of benefits.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
Difference # Marketing:
i. It is a customer-focused concept.
ii. It aims at providing goods to society which are needed by them.
iii. It precedes production.
iv. It is a broader concept & embraces selling.
v. Focuses on ascertaining customer’s need.
vi. It aims to achieve the firm’s long-run objective.
vii. It involves the service of marketing manager, sales manager and marketing research manager.
viii. It is customer oriented.
ix. It is outsider – in approach.
x. It relies on the marketing manager to co-ordinate all activities.
Difference # Selling:
i. It is a product-focused concept.
ii. Aims at selling the maximum volumes of good.
iii. It succeeds production and ends with transfer of ownership.
iv. It is a part of marketing.
v. Focused on providing the desired goods to customers.
vi. Aims for profit maximization.
vii. It involves services of sales manager for enhancing sales.
viii. It is production oriented.
ix. It is inside out approach.
x. It relies on the sales manager.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
Difference # Selling:
1. Concept – Selling is the process of exchange of goods and services for a price between buyer and seller.
2. Scope – The scope of selling is narrow. It is a part of marketing process.
3. Objective – The principal objective of selling is to maximise the sales volume thereby maximising profit.
4. Approach – Selling is production oriented.
5. Nature of seller and consumer – The sellers are the king.
6. Focus – Selling focuses on needs of the seller.
7. Aims – Converts the product to cash.
8. Nature – Selling is a simple process that begins after production and ends with the transfer of ownership of goods and services from seller to buyer.
9. Activity – Selling involves the activity of converting the products and services into cash.
10. Members – In the process of selling, two parties -the buyer and seller are involved.
Difference # Marketing:
1. Concept – Marketing is a process of identifying the needs and wants of the consumers and delivering them satisfaction through the desired product and services
2. Scope – The scope of marketing is wide. It includes the function of selling.
3. Objective – Selling aims at attaining profit through maximising customer satisfaction by delivering goods and services as per their needs and demands.
4. Approach – Marketing is consumer oriented.
5. Nature of seller and consumer – The consumers are the king.
6. Focus – Marketing focuses on needs of the buyer.
7. Aims – Converts customer needs into product.
8. Nature – It is a complex process that begins much before the exchange of goods take place, with the analysis of consumers needs and wants and continues even after the exchange of goods and services take place, to understand the customer satisfaction post purchase behaviour of the consumer.
9. Activity – Marketing involves a series of activity- identifying customer’s demand, product planning, and pricing, and promotion, delivery of goods and after sale service.
10. Members – The marketing process comprises of consumers, marketing intermediaries, competitors.
Difference between Marketing and Selling – 13 Points of Difference
In general we use ‘marketing’ and ‘selling’ as synonyms terms, but there is a substantial difference between both the concepts.
1. Selling has a product focus and mostly producer driven; marketing has a consumer focus and is market driven
2. It is the action part of marketing only and has short term goal of achieving market share, whereas marketing has long term goals
3. In selling, the emphasis is on price variation for closing the sale where the objective can be stated, as “I must somehow sell the product”. This short term focus does not consider a prudential planning for building up the brand in the market place and winning competitive advantage through loyal set of customers. On the other hand marketing does what selling fails to do.
4. The end means of any sales activity is maximizing profits through sales maximization and marketing activity focuses on profit through consumer satisfaction
5. When the focus is on selling, the seller thinks that after production has been completed, the task of the sales force starts. When focus is on marketing, the marketer thinks that work of marketing field officers starts.
6. It is also the task of the sales department to sell whatever the production department has manufactured. Marketing believes in selling what the consumers demand.
7. Marketing as a concept and approach is much wider than selling and is also dynamic as the focus is on the customer rather than the product.
8. While selling revolves around the needs and interest of the manufacturer or marketer, marketing revolves around that of consumer. It is the whole process of meeting and satisfying the needs of the consumer.
9. Marketing consists of all those activities that are associated with product planning, pricing, promoting, and distributing the product or service, while selling is concerned with only production activities.
10. The task of marketing commences with identifying consumer needs and does not end till feedback on consumer satisfaction from the consumption of the product is received. Selling begins with production and ends with sale.
11. In marketing, it is a long chain of activity, which comprises production, packing, promotion, pricing, distribution, and then the selling and in selling the chain is small with producing and sale being the two components.
12. Consumer needs become the guiding force behind all activities in marketing, whereas profit becomes the guiding force in case of selling. However, Profits are not ignored in marketing but they are built up on a long run basis.
13. Mind share is more important than market share in Marketing. In selling both the concepts are ignored.
Difference between Marketing and Selling – Propounded by Theodore Levitt
There is a notion among some people that marketing and selling are one and the same. Marketing and selling are undoubtedly related and each depends on the other. However both are not one and the same. Selling is merely transferring the ownership/legal title in the goods and also transferring the physical possession of the goods.
Marketing is a very wide term involving several other activities such as understanding the customer, getting an appropriate product designed, bringing it to the notice of the consumers, creation of demand and ultimately making all arrangements for the sale of goods.
Theodore Levitt, in his article ‘Marketing myopia’ distinguishes between marketing and selling as follows:
1. Selling focuses its attention on the seller’s needs while marketing focuses on the buyer’s needs.
2. The seller is interested in converting a commodity into cash while a marketer is interested in consumer satisfaction.
3. Selling aims at profit through sales while marketing aims at profit through serving the consumers’ needs.
Difference between Marketing and Selling
Difference # Selling:
1. Selling is a classical approach
2. Selling focuses on the needs of the seller.
3. Selling is preoccupied with seller’s need to convert his product into cash.
4. The aim of selling is to earn the maximum profit.
5. Selling is a routine activity with short-term objectives.
6. Selling is limited only to the physical distribution.
Difference # Marketing:
1. Marketing is a new approach.
2. Marketing focuses on the needs of buyers.
3. Marketing is pre-occupied with the idea of satisfying the needs of the customer by means of the product.
4. The aim of marketing is to satisfy the consumers.
5. Marketing has long-term objectives with certain philosophical implications.
6. Marketing includes the performance of many allied activities also.