What is the difference between marketing, business development, sales, and closing?

The terms you list go from very general to very specific. Let me explain: Marketing: the management of demand; the process by which we attract and keep customers. Encompasses product development, pricing, channels of distribution, communications. Business development: a more focused and strategic approach to generating demand and sales. Likely to involve market selection decisions or prioritizing market segments or key accounts. Used to call these sales managers. Sales: activities aim at gaining, well, sales. Often focuses on personal selling, which could include prospecting, making presentations, fashioning proposals, answering objections and... Closing: this would be the consummation (devoutly to be wished, as the Bard would say) of the sales process. In sales lore, this is the skill that is most often prized...and lacking. The romantic analogy would be apt: Sales is the courting process, while closing is stealing the kiss.

This is the analogy I have used for this: Suppose you are an airport looking for more business. In your Marketing, you look into the air for things that resemble airplanes flying; In your Business Development, you contact what you think are airplanes, you ask them "Are you an airplane?", and when they say "Yes." you then ask them if they are interested in landing at an airport. If they indicate they are interested in landing at an airport, you then determine who the Pilot and Co-Pilot are who will ultimately land the plane. Then you make sure you continue talking to the Pilot and Co-Pilot. (The flight attendant may make you feel confortable during the trip but can't land the plane.) During your Sales Process you convey the benefits of landing the plane on your runway, you periodically determine that the Pilot and Co-Pilot see eye-to-eye on continuing to land, and you confirm that they are following you on every benefit you've laid out. You, and they, then determine your benefits are what they are looking for. Then you get a commitment for landing the plane on your runway. The Closer is then brought in to land the plane. During the Closing Process, you stay focused on the process of landing the plane.  The seasoned closer knows that numerous hazards may be encountered, which may involve a series of adjustments, these may involve "reselling" the Pilot and Co-Pilot through the closing process. So the Closer is also a seasoned Sales Person. The closer/s expect these adjustments, and realize they are a normal part of landing the plane on the runway. Every word or action of the Closer is a part of the next sequence of landing the plane. The closer constantly visualizes the plane landed and happy passengers disembarking. Allowing the plane to ascend or crash are not options.

1. Marketing - It is an umbrella term and hence an umbrella process, which starts right from identification of gap areas, and target market, and process; and implementation strategy to create demand for your product service. Just an example taking my business (third party Mobile software development business), I'm doing a marketing activity if I'm writing on my website or ad page to all visitors: "Agicent works with start ups and growing software companies in rolling out world class software products for mobile and web. Contact me and discuss your project (or may say -Check out our portfolio here etc.)" So here, I've shared what we do to all visitors (including potential customers or non potential customers too) in a promotional manner, with an objective to gain some lead (or interests). 2. Sales - it mostly deals with actual revenue generation steps; it is just a part of the whole marketing process, but an "execution" part; where the efforts you've put before realize the real money out of all efforts. Further to example given above, if I am doing sales for the same business, then I first of all have a potential customer in front of me (not in person essentially per say, but in direct communication either via email, phone, web session, meeting etc.), and we are talking "specific": Example - I'm trying to get his requirements details, and if gotten already then creating and sharing a proposal with him, if that is done already then probably discussing payment terms or raising the first invoice. :) 3. Business Development - It is sales only, but is mostly used in case of B2B business model, since whatever you sell mostly to a business being a business is not only a one time sales but comes up with a relationship, which includes support and maintenance, and also with options of growing an account, cross sales/ up sales etc. BD is more of an Sales Approach, rather than a standalone and different function than sales. Subtle difference bwn Sales and BD: In sales - we mostly talk about a specific product or service (mostly pre defined, pre packaged that happens in B2C transactions generally) that we are pitching to the customer; while in business development - we take liberty to customize the product or service according to customer's needs (to make it sell able) and make into an "offering" for them, along with mentioning longer term options associated with the product/ service we've sold. So BD is more of a partnership oriented or longer term looking sales. You may start with a new customer with an highly discounted fee (and sometimes almost free as well) to gain mutual confidence, and may grow it to an anchor account by the time. So BD is more flexible then sales too. So far as my function is concerned - I find myself doing business development and marketing more than the sales due to the same reasons given above and some more. :) Best -Sudeep

Definitions depend on the company size, industry and transaction type (B2B or B2C). In complex sales: Sales manages the buying cycle that turn prospects into customers to extract the most amount of revenue out of a product. Marketing provides tools for the sales team to maximize winning. This can be done through research (a specific market or demographic), communications (messaging, awareness or promotions), or product management (analyzing and understanding customer needs). Business Development involves generating new business opportunities. This could be sales strategy, distribution partnerships and managing  proposals across technical and non-technical business units. It is sometimes used as a job title for acquisition sales reps. Closing is a sales stage where you negotiate terms, win the business, and collect payment.