Sales and Marketing – Level 4 & 5

What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘environment’? You probably think of surroundings, and the conditions and influences of the surroundings. Similarly, the business environment refers to an organization’s surroundings – its external surroundings, as well as its internal surroundings.

This module begins by examining customers and their decision-making processes when making purchases. What factors do they consider when buying items such as a chocolate bar, vegetables, a book, a refrigerator, or a house? How do businesses determine which company to choose when purchasing a new computer system? Before embarking on marketing efforts, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of how customers think and to comprehend the attributes and benefits they seek.

In marketing, a company encounters two types of variables. Firstly, there are variables associated with the external environment, which comprise the macro-environment encompassing political, economic, socio-cultural, and technological dimensions, as well as the micro-environment representing the competitive structure of the industry. A company has no direct control over these external variables. Secondly, there are operational variables, which are factors over which a company has full control.

Marketing and sales are fundamental to business, regardless of the sector. In the private sector, it is widely acknowledged that marketing and sales planning are essential for achieving profitability and market success. In the public and charitable sectors, the focus shifts from profit-making to customer (or more broadly, stakeholder) satisfaction. Marketing is playing an increasingly crucial role in the non-profit sector to raise awareness of issues and promote causes. This perspective involves not only considering customers (recipients) but also engaging with donors and other stakeholders.

There is clear evidence that Information Technology provides a competitive advantage, regardless of the business sphere in which an organization operates. To gain this advantage, managers must understand how IT can be utilized in both internal and external processes to deliver better value to the end customer.

This module will offer you a comprehensive introduction to marketing, relevant to the management and operation of organizations across various sectors of the economy, including those that do not operate for profit.

The aim of modern marketing is to identify and satisfy each customer’s needs and wants. This is often achieved by building relationships with customers and using these relationships to facilitate two-way communication between the two parties. The customer communicates their preferences, and the business communicates information about products that will satisfy the customer’s needs and desires.

The success of the World Wide Web and the proliferation of the Internet and associated technologies have revolutionized the way organizations conduct their business. The most noticeable change has been the support provided through technology to various traditional operations, such as sales, communications, customer services, and marketing.

An organization’s success depends on several factors, including its operations, marketing strategy, human resource management, and sales. One of the most common criteria used to assess the organization’s success is sales growth. Sales growth indicates that the organization effectively retains its existing customers while also attracting interest and generating sales from new markets.

How then do organizations develop strategies in a complex marketing environment? How do they assess opportunities and threats? Which markets and segments do they target and why? Which market positions play to an organization’s strengths? What product portfolio should be maintained for long-term value? These are some of the questions we shall address.