Sales Before Marketing: Why Small Businesses Get It Wrong

Running a small business can be incredibly rewarding, but let’s be honest: generating sufficient sales can often be tough. Many business owners lump sales and marketing together, which can lead to confusion and wasted effort.

In my 25 years of experience as a sales, marketing, and digital specialist, I have seen the same issues day in and day out. Through my company, Brand Planning, I help small businesses create strategic plans with a strict sales focus.

If you want to make more sales and gain new clients, you have to put sales first. Here is a breakdown of why this matters and how you can implement these strategies in your own business.

The Difference Between Sales and Marketing

It is a common misconception that sales and marketing are the exact same thing. In reality, they serve two distinct purposes.

Sales are the foundational elements you put in place to make your products and services attractive and informative. It is all about enticing people and encouraging them to actually buy from you. Marketing, on the other hand, is the distribution of those messages. It is how you get your information out into the world—whether through social media or other marketing channels.

Common Mistakes Small Businesses Make

One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is diving headfirst into marketing without establishing strong sales foundations. They might drive visitors and create awareness, but if people are not enticed to buy, all that time and effort is unfortunately wasted.

Many businesses struggle because they simply do not know what their unique selling points (USPs) are. They haven't thought about the features and benefits of their offerings. Furthermore, many owners get swept up in making a lot of noise on social media without any real strategy behind it. Often, this boils down to a reluctance to focus on sales because they feel the word has negative connotations.

How to Build Strong Sales Foundations

Building strong foundations acts as a springboard for your business. First and foremost, you actually need to understand what it is you are selling. Take the time to dissect your products, services, packages, and pricing. If you do not fully understand what you are selling, it becomes very hard for anyone else to buy it.

Next, align your branding with your sales goals. One of the most overlooked tools in a small business’s arsenal is the website. By feeding all of your foundational elements into your website, it transforms into a highly powerful sales tool that can essentially do the selling for you.

The Power of Effective Networking

While building long-term strategies is vital, one thing that can make a positive difference quite quickly is networking. Networking is an amazing way to make initial contacts, whether in person or online.

However, many people do not network effectively, finding it time-consuming and unrewarding. Once you learn to network with focus and strategy, you will start to see positive results on the sales side incredibly fast.

Taking the Next Step

I explore these themes alongside practical sales foundations and strategies in my book, Sales Before Marketing.

If you are putting all your effort into marketing but not seeing the returns, it might be time to look at your sales foundations.

Find out more about the book here.