The Difference Between Marketing and Business Development (ie. Selling)

I have spent most of my career selling – ideas, products, services etc. – and over that time, I have found that many people that don’t understand the process of business development.  People often confuse marketing with selling, when they are two entirely different practices.  In fact, I have met a few “salespeople” along the way that don’t know the difference between the two, and they wonder why they don’t achieve their sales goals.

When you think about it, marketing is the method to get people to know, like and trust you while selling is using that trust to gain commitment from the person.  Jeffrey Gitomer always says “People don’t like to be sold, but they like to buy.”  This is very true because we are assaulted with “marketing messages” every day through TV, radio, print and social media, but we tend to remember only those messages that resonate with us. So if you are marketing yourself, your brand, or your product/service, it pays to remember that your marketing messages need to gain the trust of your audience.  Business development results from timely follow up, focusing on the features and benefits, and asking questions to handle any objections.  Selling is connecting with people on a personal level so that they want to do business with you!