Networking, Marketing, Sales...are they all different things?

Those of you who know me might know where I'm going with this, but today I want to explore the differences between networking, marketing and sales, and whether or not they are actually different things.

When I worked in Corporate, I had a leader who told me, "Sales and Marketing MUST always be separate". I think there was more to it than that, as in, I'm sure she provided a reason, but my brain got stuck there.

One, because I don't think a single thing is ALWAYS true 😉

And two, because, if both of them need to work TOGETHER to generate sales, why in the world would we keep them separate?

I found an article on Indeed outlining the different departments in a business, and it gives us as good a starting point as any.

Marketing Departments

According to the article, the marketing department of a business functions to, "promote said business and all that it has to offer the public and prospective customers." Some of the activities the articles includes are:

• Developing marketing campaigns

• Conducting market research

• Managing company brand

• Forming relationships with marketing and advertisement partners

• Writing content for marketing materials

• Maintaining websites

• Developing social media marketing strategies and campaigns

• Collaborating with other departments to market products accurately

• Planning digital and in-person events

• Identifying target audiences

• Writing and distributing email campaigns

• Using search engine optimization (SEO)

• Creating promotional materials

• Reviewing marketing campaigns and tracking results

Yup, I would say that's a solid representation on what a typical marketing department does. I also do these things as an entrepreneur. OK, I don't do email campaigns or SEO, but I DO do everything else.

Me. Just me. In about 5 hours a week. But more on that in a different article.

When we look at task lists like this, it might seem like it makes sense to keep marketing and sales separate. After all, I don't see anything on this list that indicates I'm doing any selling with the above activities.

And THAT'S where the root of the problem lies.

Before we get there thought, let's explore Sales.

Sales Departments

Again, according to the Indeed article, the sales department of a business functions to, "facilitate and secure a business' sales to generate and maximize revenue", which includes:

• Searching for new clients

• Facilitating the sales of products and/or services

• Setting prices for products

• Creating sales plans

• Attending sales conferences

• Developing strategies for increasing sales

• Building and maintaining relationships with sales partners

• Reviewing sales plans results

When you look at these two definitions, they are clearly set up as a funnel. Marketing at the top, and Sales at the bottom. So, if they are meant to flow into each other, why keep them separate?

Before we go too deep here, let's talk about Networking.

Networking Department

Oh, wait. There isn't a networking department. At least not in this definition of the word. So who is responsible for networking?

I didn't see it in the list of marketing activities.

Nor did I see if in the list of sales activities.

So, which is it?

AHA!

This is where the problem arises.

It's NOT one or the other. It's both.

Or, more accurately, it CAN be both.

Networking can function as marketing. It can also function as sales.

More importantly, it can create CONNECTION.

So, what if we stepped back and looked at ALL of these efforts from a "creating connection" perspective?

Creating Connection Department

Ok, so the name doesn't really flow, but go with me on this.

What if we had a department that was all about Creating Connections?

What would our marketing efforts look like?

• Developing marketing campaigns TO CONNECT PEOPLE TO THE BRAND

• Conducting market research ON HOW CONNECTED CLIENTS FEEL

• Writing content THAT OPENS THE DOOR FOR CONNECTION

• Identifying target audiences THAT FEEL CONNECTED TO THE BRAND

• Tracking HOW MANY ACTIVE CONNECTIONS OUR PEOPLE HAVE

What would our sales efforts look like?

• CONNECTING with new people online and at tradeshows

• CONNECTING the dots to facilitate a purchase

• CONNECTING the dots between price and value

• CONNECTING with sales partners

What would our networking efforts look like?

Connecting with people, in meaningful ways, to build relationships that add value to people and businesses (my new definition of networking).

When we look at things from the perspective of creating connections, all of a sudden, marketing, sales and networking AREN'T different things. They are all parts of the same thing.

The same picture.

So, if you're in the Connection Game...

Sales, Marketing and Networking are NOT different things. They are connection activities. And connected activities are what drive a revenue stream that flows.

If you're ready to shift YOUR Connection Game into high gear to empower YOUR Revenue Stream, let's chat.