Sales, in popular telecom parlance is like 'last mile connectivity'. Marketing is about creating opportunities. It is about identifying needs and fulfilling them. There are enough occassions in an organisation where there is a conflict between sales and marketing on 'who leads'. Marketing looks at the larger canvas and sales does fill the shaded region to provide the picture. There are many problems that need solution which can be offered by a product or a service. Sometimes these could be unmet needs. Solutions to these problems create opportunity.

Pure Drinking Water is a solution to an environment where waterborne diseases multiply by the hour. A water capsule distributor rued that he is not able to sell more than 70 capsules a month in a locality. There was another person in the room who commented that the location from where the water is distributed is far away from where the customers are. Hence a lot of time and money is spent in reaching them. It would be profitable if the person has a place closer to the customer. Yes. In a short term, it would offer the capsule distributor advantages in logistics and could generate marginally higher profits. But the issue is not one of staying profitable with 70 numbers a month. The issue is trying to capture a growing market for Purified water. A good salesman, with a lot effort, could increase 70 capsules to 80 capsules a month.

Unlike sales, Marketing recognizes the problem. If pure drinking water is a problem in a locality in an urban environment, there could be many solutions to the problem - one could consider Reverse Osmosis plants in households which could be tucked away in a corner in the kitchen, Wall mounted Water purifiers, Water capsules with dispensers in offices, Water bottles in nearby shops and many such solutions. Now, our friend who distributes water capsules has many options in front of him to expand his base. His focus need not be constrained to selling capsules only. The ball game suddenly changes. From number of capsules sold per month, the shift is now to how many thousands of litres of purified water is being sold per month. There is a bigger opportunity.

A proverbial 31st March individual is a street smart man who can achieve targets. Marketing creates opportunity for a longer term. There are many industrial and sometimes, consumer product categories where sales is more of a distribution function of reaching the product to a consumer.

No consumer looks at one perennial solution to a problem. As the environment changes, new problems surface. They need to be addressed with new solutions. The common cloth as a filter to get purified water moved on to heating of water which further moved on to fixing a purifier at the end of the tap to wall mounted candle fitted purifiers to capsules with dispensers to reverse osmosis plants. The consumer has evolved. Her needs have changed. Her expectations have gone up. She needs to think in terms of not just cost of the solution. She thinks continuous supply of water, high level of purity, ease of use, space occupied in a household or office, maintenance free management of the machine, a reliable call centre and a lot more. To reach the various solutions to the consumer, sure, we definitely need a battery of salesmen.

Leadership in marketing is driven by perspectives through which we understand customer needs. Marketing has to offer more and better solutions to a customer in a competitive scenario. The brand has to achieve salience and stay top of mind with the customer. Marketing is not a short term gimmick. Sales is achieving numbers. Price-offs and discounts can get the numbers but they cannot offer the staying power in a market place.