In general, we use ‘marketing’ and ‘selling’ as synonyms but there is a substantial difference between both the concepts. It is necessary to understand the differences between marketing vs selling for a successful marketing manager. The selling concept focuses on the needs of the seller while the marketing concept focuses on the needs of the buyer
According to Prof. Theodore Levitt – “The difference between selling and marketing is more than semantic. A true marketing minded firm tries to create value satisfying goods and services which the consumers will want to buy. What is offers for sale is determined not by the seller but by the buyers.
The contrast between Selling Concept and Marketing Concept –
Selling Concept – It is a business idea, which states that if consumers and businesses stay unattended, then there will not be plenty of sale of an organization’s product.
- Emphasis: Emphasis is on the product. This concept strives to turn products into cash for the business
- Production: Company manufactures the product first. In this concept, competition is predominantly centered on sales
- Management: Management is a sales volume oriented. It is concerned with compelling consumer’s mind towards goods and services.
- Planning: Planning is short-run-oriented in terms of today’s products and markets.
- Stresses: Stresses the needs of the seller.
- Views: Views business as a good producing process.
- Technology: Emphasis on staying with existing technology and reducing costs.
- Departments: Different departments work as in a highly separate watertight compartments
- Cost: Cost determines Price. The selling concept has short-term business planning, i.e. taking a good position and share in the market but only for a short period. Cost of production forms the basis of determining the price of the product or service.
- Customer: Selling views the customer as the last link in business.
Marketing Concept – It is a business direction which talks about accomplishing managerial goals by becoming better than others in providing customer satisfaction.
- Emphasis: Emphasis on consumer needs wants. This concept strives to meet customer needs through the product itself.
- Production: Company first determines the customer’s needs and wants and then decides out how to deliver a product to satisfy these wants. In this concept, the competition is centered on consumer satisfaction.
- Management: Management is profit oriented. It is related to the directing goods and services towards the mind of consumers.
- Planning: Planning is long-run-oriented in today’s products and terms of new products, tomorrow’s markets, and future growth.
- Stresses: Stresses needs and wants of buyers.
- Views: Views business as consumer producing process satisfying process.
- Technology: Emphasis on innovation on every existing technology and reducing every sphere, on providing better costs value to the customer by adopting a superior technology.
- Departments: All departments of the business integrated manner, the sole purpose being the generation of consumer satisfaction
- Cost: Consumer determines price, price determines the cost. There is a long-term business planning in the marketing concept; that concentrates on brand loyalty and high switching cost. The price is determined on the basis of various forces present in the market, i.e. demand and supply of the commodity.
- Customers: Marketing views the customer last link in business as the very purpose of the business.
