Commercial managers sometimes forget how important the sales and marketing elements are to their success in business. They become so hide-bound by administration that they overlook this vital element of commercial life. It is always an after thought, or they just can't or won't find the time to manage it properly. And yet, if there are product and services to be sold, they should be doing so in the most cost effective and profitable way, maximizing the market exposure and the returns on investment. This holds true for small single owner business as much as for huge corporations.

If customers are not aware of the product they will not buy it, and if they don't buy it, it is impossible to generate a profit. The very essence of marketing is to bring to the market a product it wants, and to package and price it correctly so that it makes a profit for the business. Responsibility for the effectiveness of this falls to the sales and marketing department.

Individuals have their preferences. Some prefer direct mail marketing, others prefer network marketing while a large number lean more and more towards email marketing. But whatever the preference, the marketing strategy and all it entails is a vital step. It is the driver needed to succeed for both you personally and the business overall.

Training seminars and events should be attended often by all those operating in the sales and marketing arena. Selling is a skill that comes naturally to some, but not to most. Yet it is possible to master these skills so they become more like drills. With a well thought out training and development program, the most suitable response on the part of the salesman should be second nature. Also with marketing, one should be able to respond instinctively and creatively.

There is such a choice of media now that for the marketers it can be overwhelming. The power of the internet and the universal ownership of televisions mean that a vast number of people and markets can be reached quickly - almost instantly. A quick review of what people enter into the search engines also helps paint a picture of the market psychology. It is amazing how people type words in an almost random order. Did you know that one of the phrases most looked for in the search engines is 'engine marketing search'. It's a funny way to do it, but more than 1 million searches do so each month. Why do they reverse the words? I don't know - but it is important to know that they do so marketing strategy can reflect these things where necessary.

Some managers will opt to delegate everything to a marketing agency. The difficulty here is that many would like to seize the opportunity to do their own thing at your expense. They can be like architects who do the same. If you opt for a marketing agency to rn and manage your campaign, you cannot afford to do so without first presenting the agency with a full and detailed marketing brief. The aim of this is not to limit their creativity, but to keep it focussed on your needs and not theirs. All this of course should be underpinned by solid market research.

At its most basic level, both selling and marketing are about the art of communications and the best choice of media for the markets to be targeted. It has to be said however, that not all possible clients and customers should be treated to the same method or system. For example, wholesale and retail markets will attract different methods of communication by the sales team. Again, if a product is to be sold in a store or shop, it is not the same approach as advertising an article to be sold at auction. Each market niche needs its own type and style of advertisement. Ads will have to designed to appeal to that niche, and it is important to understand the socio-demographics of the niche to get this right.

The real secret of success here is to start to do things differently. The old maxim about being surprised when there is no change in circumstances while you continue to do things in the same way stands as an eternal truth. I would encourage anyone to go and see, hear and / or read what Dan Kennedy has to say on this subject. A quick Google search will reveal a wealth of material. My best counsel is that you should note well what he has to say. Dan is one of the foremost sales and marketing consultants in America.