Selling Vs Marketing
The word 'selling' and 'marketing' are often used as if they have the same meaning. However there are vast differences between the two activities. The basic difference is that selling is internally focused, while marketing is externally focused. The following distinctions between selling and marketing shows more clearly.
Selling
1. Emphasis is on the product.
2. It starts with the seller and is preoccupied all time with the needs of the seller.
3. In it, company first makes the product and then figures out how to sell it.
4. It views business as a 'goods producing process.'
5. It is based on "Push-Approach."
6. In selling, seller is the center of the business universe, and activities start with the seller's existing products.
7. In it, management is sales-volume-oriented.
8. It is pre-occupied with the seller's need to convert his product into cash.
9. In it, planning is short-run-oriented, in terms of today's products and markets.
10. Needs of seller are stressed in it.
11. It views the customer as the last link in the business.
12. In it, emphasis is given on saleable surplus with the corporation.
13. It is an exchange activity without caring for the value satisfactions inherent in the exchange.
14. Here cost determines the price.
15. In it, emphasis is on 'somehow selling' and there is no coordination among the different functions of the total marketing tasks.
Marketing
1. Emphasis is on customer's wants.
2. It starts with the buyer and focuses constantly on the needs of the buyers.
3. Here company first determines customer's wants and then figures out how to design and design and deliver a product to satisfy those wants.
4. It views as a 'customer satisfying process.'
5. It believes on "Pull-Approach."
6. In it, buyer is the centre of the business universe and activities follow the buyer and his needs.
7. Here management is profit-cum-customer satisfaction-oriented.
8. It is pre-occupied with the idea of satisfying the customer's needs and it seeks to convert customer needs into products.
9. In it, planning is long-run-oriented, in terms of new products, tomorrow's markets and future growth.
10. Wants of buyers are stressed in marketing.
11. It views the customer as core of the business and sees business from the point of view of the customer.
12. Here emphasis is given on the needs of the customers.
13. It is an exchange activity with the value-satisfaction that should flow to the customer from the exchange.
14. In it, customer determines the the price.
15. Here emphasis is placed on integrated marketing and all marketing task are coordinated and integrated.