For any firm, the major objective is to market and sell its products or services profitably. In medium and large firms, which usually offer numerous products and services nationally or even worldwide, market research, marketing strategy, sales, advertising, promotion, pricing, product development and public relations are central activities of the organisation.
Although aligned, sales and marketing are not the same. Sales roles generally require a driven, focused and persistent person with a desire to work in what is often a highly commission-based environment. Marketing roles utilise a softer selling approach, based around messages directed at a target market via various media. There are less direct or tangible performance indicators in marketing, but results are equally important.
