Should I Do Marketing Vs Sales?

For the past two years, I have been hopping back and forth between deciding on a career in sales or marketing.

There are two conflicting narratives:

I'm being told sales has a lower barrier to entry and is a great skill to learn. On the other hand, I have more experience in marketing through my freelancing and content creation.

If you don't know me, my name is Denzil Duke. I am currently a freelance digital marketer helping small businesses get more customers. I'm freelancing to get experience as a marketer. Eventually landing a full-time role to learn from more experienced marketers.

So, in this article, I'm laying out how I'm choosing between sales and marketing using 5 frameworks:

• Which high income skill should I go full-time with?
• What feels like play, but work to others?
• Is this what I want to do in 10 years time?
• Everything is sales
• Getting married to the opportunity

Which Would I Like As My Full-Time Job?

I had the opportunity to sit down with the sales manager at Audi & Porsche discussing about car sales.

You might be asking why I was there?

Figure out whether to go down sales or marketing.

I explained how I've wanted to go into sales because I thought it was the natural career path to get into marketing.

The sales manager reaffirmed ideas around selling and marketing.

Marketing is getting leads. Sales is converting those leads into customers.

Then, I elaborated on getting my marketing qualifications and doing freelancing.

He said,

"Sounds like you have a passion more for marketing."

Reflecting during and after the meeting, what sounds good to me?

• Helping people purchase cars?
• Working on marketing material?

Would I rather be talking to prospects, or by myself creating stuff?

What do I see myself doing full-time?

"What Feels Like Play To You, But Work To Others?" – Naval

I think of that Naval quote from time to time.

What is something you find yourself losing track of time doing? An activity that would be frustrating and stress-inducing to others?

I hold a mistaken belief that anyone can do marketing, or that everyone would find marketing fun.

I also think sometimes we discount and downplay our strengths in an attempt to be humble.

I got to reframe.

How many people do I know want to be marketers?

Zero. The answer is zero. That I know of...

Which means, I must find this marketing stuff play rather than work.

Well, put it like this: if someone told me I had to edit videos for six hours a day, I wouldn't mind.

Is This What I Want To Do In 10 Years?

The opportunity to sell cars and learn how to sell is still there. But on a 10-year horizon, is that what I want to do?

Zoom out. Remember, it takes a long time to get good at something.

In 10 years, will I want to be in the sales industry or marketing industry?

For me, it's probably marketing.

It's a bit of a fallacy, though. If you've never tried marketing or sales, you won't know what you'll like until you try.

And the likelihood you will like marketing or sales is low because you will suck at it.

Being bad at anything is not fun.

So, you start by deciding which one sucks less. Which problems and pains am I willing to deal with?

Everything Is Sales

If you're concerned about getting sales experience, freelancing as a marketer involves selling. I have to remind myself that. Half the battle is helping prospects make a buying decision.

This is the basic freelancing business model:

Advertise Services --> Hop On Sales Meetings --> Onboard --> Deliver Services

You will not get clients if you skip the sales part.

My first time in a sales meeting was with my physiotherapist client. I learnt more in that half hour than I have from reading, listening and watching stuff about sales.

When you're in a sales meeting, you're:

• Asking questions
• Listening
• Information gathering
• Handling objections.

In my case, all revolving around my marketing services.

So, if I continue down my freelancing pathway, I won't have to worry about lacking experience in sales.

Getting Married To The Opportunity

Alex Hormozi said something about entrepreneurs needing to get married to their business.

They will try start another business when faced with a new problem in their business. Thinking of it as a better opportunity with their skill set. But, the best opportunity is actually the one you stay with for a long time.

Up until now, I've been 'dating' both marketing and sales when I should commit to one. Hence the marriage analogy

And what does 'dating opportunities' look like? For me, it meant applying for sales jobs when I should have focused only on marketing roles. Or, entertaining the idea of getting into sales when I should stick to my current skillset.

There was one core idea that caused my inner conflict between marketing and sales.

I thought I needed to be in sales to eventually become a marketer.

If the end goal is being a marketer, why not just start as a marketer?

I hope these five frameworks help you decide between marketing and sales

In short:

• What role can you see yourself doing full-time and for a long time?
• What is play to you, but work for others?
• What problems and pains are you willing to deal with?