CIM ‘merge marketing with sales’ call sparks hot debate
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Marketers have rejected a call by the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) for marketing to be merged with sales but do want to see greater alignment between marketing and all key departments in a company to maintain sales performance.
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The Charted Institute of Marketing (CIM) has called on companies to merge marketing with sales to safeguard the former’s future and reputation in organisations that are already “relegating” the importance of marketing given the current economic environment.
A fusion of two departments, it adds, would lead to a shared view of the customer and common goal, essential to drive improvements in revenue and productivity, while reducing duplication and wastage.
Marketers, however, have questioned the logic of a forced union adding that marketing needs to be closely aligned to sales in just the same way as it should work closely with all departments in an organisation.
Simon Wallis, sales and marketing at Dominos, says: “While it’s vital that sales and marketing work side by side, it is also essential that they are closely aligned with procurement and operations too. All of these functions are key to managing short term sales within the business while maintaining our long term brand health.”
David Thorp, director of research and professional development at the CIM and author of the report, argues that there are fewer differences between the two “brother and sister” functions than many believe.
He argues that historically, marketing has its roots in sales but the two have drifted apart as marketing became viewed as a “pseudo science” and marketers “elitist” in the eyes of sales. A merger would stop the “siloed thinking” and “subtle conflict” that has arisen, he adds.
However, Phil Rumbol, founding partner of agency 101 London and former Cadbury marketing director, argues that the CIM has “completely missed the point about why each exists in the first place”.
“The role of marketing is to build sustainable demand for brands, while sales is there to convert this demand into sales. There is therefore a healthy tension between the longer brand demand focus of marketing and the short term revenue focus of sales.
The CIM has received support from some marketers who believe a merged department can work in some sectors.
Simon Carter, marketing director at Fujitsu, says that for those sectors that are sales-led it is “critical” that the two work together. John Lewis marketing director Craig Inglis agrees that the two can “sit well together” in the right business.
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Readers' comments (14)
Anonymous | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 12:40 pm
I agree with the views. I think unless you are a huge brand where marketing really has clout in its own right, marketers need to remember they are a sales function.
I still think marketing will be chopped when the head count needs to go down - whether part of sales or not - but much more will be achieved by being a function of sales.
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Anonymous | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 1:07 pm
This is a very confusing message from the CIM. I am currently studying for their Professional Certificate and as part of the first module one of the first things we have to demonstrate is an understanding of how a marketing orientation differs from a sales orientation. They do highlight the importance of co-ordination and co-operation, but it is clear that elements of both approaches are essential to being successful in business. If the CIM are so keen on their students understanding the differences between the roles of sales and marketing, than you would hope that the organisation might understand this themselves!
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Graham Forsyth | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 2:24 pm
I personally feel that any company which ‘chops’ marketing is typically making a short term (meaning short sighted) reaction rather than a long-term strategic business decision. I also feel that Sales and Marketing bring their own influence to the table and should therefore be respectively treated as separate business entities. That said aligning the two departments is fundamental. By setting targets, goals and business ambitions across the two departments you’re immediately aligning the divisions to achieve shared objectives.
At the end of the day marketing and sales professionals don’t do the same job, they should however share same common goals to drive the business forward. But those shared goals can be tackled in unique ways for the two departments to compliment and support each other. All marketing departments should be able to stand up on their own two feet as an important, integrated part of the business – without the reliance of sales.
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Dilip Mutum | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 2:37 pm
Finally.
The previous comments clearly show the misunderstanding that exists. Sales is a component of the overall marketing strategy (one of the 4Ps). However, many companies persist in maintaining separate marketing and sales departments.
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Jen Webb | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 2:52 pm
Surely now is the time for marketing departments everywhere to up their game and prove their worth to the businesses they are in, rather than giving up and accepting inferiority? Marketers should be taking this opportunity to shine by working even more closely with sales teams to help drive business, identify new opportunities, assist in the design and delivery of great products and service through insight and challenge sales departments where necessary.
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Simon Allen | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 2:53 pm
If sales isn't the empirical aspect of marketing what is it?
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Neil Hopkins | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 3:42 pm
I believe that marketing and sales are two distinct entities and need to be treated as such.
Sales is about closing.
Marketing is about behavioural change and maintenance (see this for more details: http://interacter.wordpress.com/2011/05/21/marketing-isnt-about-sales/ )
Both are functions that directly affect the bottom line, but in very different ways.
I also believe that the 4P model is vastly out of date and doesn't cover the range of activities that exist on both sides of the fence.
This debate will run and run, I think!
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Ben Timberley | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 4:32 pm
If the story about Converse and Nike using their customers as sales resource is to be believed then surely this discussion is moot?
Wouldn't it be more sensible to internalise the incredible resource that is any organisations customer-base and use them as organic sales resource, rather than cutting back on vital, effective and hard-to-find marketing professionals?
If the future is 'Wikinomics', then the old-guard at the CIM and in boardrooms around the country appear to be badly out of touch and obsolete in their approach to engaging with their marketplaces.
It is the traditional 'sales function' in most progressive organisations that should be at risk of efficiency seeking - not the marketing teams.
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Fatmir | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 7:00 pm
It entirely depends whether you company is a Marketing-led or Sales-led driven company. However, sales and marketing should work together to create a customer value and be competitive in the marketplace. It is obvious that marketing is the central point of the organisation and it is more than sales, actually it is marketing responsibility to create products that fill customer need and show salespeople where to walk and to arm them to sell.
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mark ritson | Wed, 14 Dec 2011 9:01 pm
i think an important counter point is to make it equally clear that marketing running the sales department is equally idealistic and impossible.
The correct response to the CIM report is to reject the concept of a unified department ON BOTH SIDES. Marketing running sales is just as impossible as sales running marketing - even though the latter option is much more commonplace.
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