Career Voyages - Business Jobs - Marketing and Sales

Business Management and Administration Videos

Marketing and sales personnel match businesses with products or services to sell with buyers with need for these goods or services. Effective marketing and sales are central to any successful business since firms can only generate revenue when their products or services are marketed and sold to paying customers.

Marketing and sales managers have different but complementary business roles, and both are essential to the leadership of the general management team. Marketing managers and staff are responsible for outreach to potential prospects and for persuading them about the value of a company's products or services. Sales managers and staff are responsible for closing the individual sale and for getting a signed agreement or contract, where required.

Together, marketing and sales managers are jointly responsible for monitoring and reporting to a company's general management on changes in patterns of marketing and sales activities, such as those resulting from increased or decreased competition; business cycle changes in the national or regional economy; or changes in the global marketplace.

Marketing and sales staff may be centrally located in one office; in several locations locally, regionally, or nationally; or at different branches around the world - depending on a company's size and organization.

Marketing and sales team members should have a combination of a good academic education as well as specialized training, including postsecondary education if possible, in their area of work responsibilities. Many companies also require managers to also have practical work experience at the staff level before assuming management tasks. In some industries, such as real estate sales, sales agents must also meet state licensure requirements.

Marketing

Marketing managers' duties include planning and implementing business marketing strategies and techniques that effectively promote a company's products or services. These strategies and techniques involve advertising, public relations, brand marketing, and other forms of outreach to potential customers. Their responsibilities may also include training and directing marketing staff to assist them in attaining marketing objectives.

Examples of occupations and careers in business marketing include:

Marketing managers
Market and survey researchers
Market research analysts
Advertising and promotions managers
Public relations managers and specialists

Sales

Sales managers' duties involve planning and conducting activities that effectively result in sales of a company's products or services. These activities involve personal interactions with potential customers in order to successfully "close the sale" for specified amounts of a company's products or services. Their responsibilities may also include training and directing sales staff to help them contribute to company sales targets.

Examples of occupations and careers in business sales include:

Sales managers
Sales representatives

Every U.S. business - no matter how large or small - needs marketing and sales in order to stay in business and be successful. And as existing businesses grow and new ones are established, there will be ample career opportunities for those who are prepared and desire to work at marketing or sales - either as managers or as staff.

Learn more about the important role that marketing and sales plays specifically in retail by visiting our Retail Industry pages.

Education and Training in Business Management and Administration


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