Related, yes. Crucial to the success of the startup, yes. Utilize the same skillset/type of employee to accomplish? Perhaps not.
Recently, I've been helping a friend with a marketing project for her startup, and noticed that I've been a little reluctant. Since I have done a good amount of marketing in the past, and I really like her branding and product, it didn't make sense.
Finally, I started thinking about the actual tasks that are on my plate. Find and generate leads, write a sales pitch, develop a pipeline, consider different sales strategies, and then contact and follow up with clients.
... And, somehow, that didn't seem like a marketing project anymore. It's got sales written all over it. That's about the time that I truly realized the difference between sales and marketing.
I like marketing, I have experience in it, and I enjoy it-- but it's not what I'm doing in this project. On the other hand, I don't have a strong background in sales, I don't like it as much, and all of that explains my hesitancy.
Here, Wikipedia defines sales as "generate and close leads, educate prospects, fill needs and satisfy wants of consumers appropriately, and therefore turn prospective customers into actual ones; the practical implementation of marketing".
Then, marketing is described as "a set of processes for creating, communicating and delivering value to customers".
Beyond the functional differences in marketing versus sales, which could be argued further, I think there is a difference in the kind of approach that a sales employee should/will take in relation to that of a marketing employee.
Marketing has more of a communications/idea/branding/research component, whereas sales requires the ability to network, to get out there and meet people and be persuasive, compelling, and aggressive.
Can a marketer fulfill a sales job? And can a salesperson do the function of a marketer? Of course. But they should understand their role in relation to the company, the marketing plan/sales plan, and with consideration given to their personality and skillset.
You can't take a deliberately research-oriented, clever ad-writing approach to interfacing with potential clients, and expect the same result that a power salesperson will deliver. Nor approach marketing in the same tone as a someone trying to close the deal. Or, can you?
