Pitching sales to marketing

They're often at loggerheads; the levels of misunderstanding are legendary, but now there's a proposal on the table for marketing and sales departments to work together with one integrated strategy in order to be more successful.

This solution is bound to spark some new thinking and will undoubtedly provoke some resistance too.

Professors Malcolm McDonald and Nigel Piercy will tackle the subject at a two-day conference and workshop in Cape Town (19-20 September) and Johannesburg (21-22 September) entitled 'Integrating Marketing & Sales Strategies'.

The workshop will challenge companies to move away from outdated modes of operation and demonstrate how integrating these two disciplines can lead to efficient and effective measurement of accountability and expenditure.

Turning traditional practice on its head, McDonald and Piercy, internationally recognised as the UK's top marketing and sales gurus respectively, aim to convince businesspeople of the perils of keeping marketing and sales plans apart.

McDonald says: "People with integrated marketing and sales plans make more profit than those without. Too often, sales and marketing are separate activities with the budgets of the two reflecting double thinking. Through this workshop, we aim to help SA businesses cut out bilateral thinking and cut through to achieving their sustainable profit objectives."

Integrating Marketing & Sales Strategies
19 & 20 September Mount Nelson Hotel Cape Town
21 & 22 September Balalaika Hotel Sandton

For more information, call +27-21-914-2888 or visit www.sbs.co.za/IMSS2005