Never mistake selling for marketing

Marketing, definitely, is a disparate discipline from selling. There are (at least) four implicit characteristics of marketing, rarely observed, but nevertheless of great importance in practice: 1) Branded products only (communication needs a name to refer to), 2) Price/value relation (not supply and demand) decide sales, 3) Positive price elasticity possible (value-enhancing activities can increase sales), 4) Audience, not market (full value in a limited audience only) is the primary target. Companies unaware of the difference may get into trouble with sales people in charge of their marketing department. To get the full story, read it all!   

Why selling is not marketing

From historic reasons selling has since the advent of marketing been regarded as an integrated part of it. This has more to do with the origins of marketing, as an upgraded version of selling, rather than a discipline in itself. With the development of marketing theory, however, it has become obvious that the basic nature of the disciplines tell them apart; marketing is aimed at creating value in brands and products, whereas selling uses this to perform transactions. Marketing may increase the value of a product by raising its price, creating a social awareness of quality or prestige. Selling, dealing with one buyer at a time, is deprived of this opportunity, and is referred to lower the price to increase the prospect of a transaction. These basic differences are strong reasons for organizing marketing and sales in different departments, making conflicts between staff more inclined towards marketing and those with their heart in sales less difficult. Read further in my General Theory of Marketing.