Important Points to Understand Marketing in Business

Maybe there are still many of you who interpret marketing the same as sales. However, it is very closely related to business and customers. Marketing and sales are two very different things. Starting from the understanding, work processes, scope of work, priorities, and different functions make sales and marketing indistinguishable.

# Understanding Marketing

In its own understanding, sales is an activity or business of selling products or services from sellers to buyers at a certain price. While marketing is a series of institutions, activities, and processes of creating or exchanging valuable offers for clients, partners, customers, and the general public. Marketing begins with the fulfillment of human needs, which then grows into human desires. Therefore, marketing can be said as a strategy made to be able to increase sales in a particular business and sales more to the activity of selling a product or service.

# Marketing Function

The primary purpose of a business is to make a profit by producing goods and services needed by the community as a target market. Therefore the marketing function cannot be separated from the business itself because it is closely related to strategies that can attract customers so that there is an increase in sales. Impact on increasing company profits so that the main objectives of the business can be achieved.

To be able to achieve the objectives of the business, marketing has important functions in the company, which are divided into three types. These functions are the exchange function, physical distribution function, and intermediary function. Each function must have different activities and implementations in business.

1. Exchange Function
   The first function of marketing or marketing is the exchange function, and the exchange function is defined so that consumers can buy products by exchanging. Exchange here can be in the form of exchanging money for goods or goods with goods in buying and selling, exchanged products can be used alone or resold.
2. Physical Distribution Function
   The second function of marketing is the function of physical distribution; the physical distribution of products is done by transporting and storing products from producers that will be given or sold to consumers. Transportation is carried out in various ways and modes of transportation, such as land, sea, and air. Whereas storage is carried out by depositing and maintaining the amount of supply so that there is no shortage when the product is needed to meet the needs of the community.
3. Intermediary Function
   The last function that is owned by marketing is an intermediary function that functions as financing, information search, product grouping, and so on to be able to deliver products to consumers. This function connects the other two functions, the physical exchange, and distribution functions.

# The Role of Marketing in Business

After knowing the functions of marketing, namely the functions of exchange, physical distribution, and intermediaries, you will more easily understand the important role of marketing in a business. However, in addition to knowing and understanding the function of marketing in business, it helps you also understand the critical role of marketing in a business.

1. As a Sales
   One of the main roles of marketing in business is sales because it seems that we know that one of the important elements of a business is the profit derived from the process of selling goods or services produced from the business.
2. As a Promotion
   Marketing also has a role in promoting the business and products produced by the business, both in the form of goods and services. The aim is that the community, as a target consumer of the company, can recognize the product and increase business profits by increasing sales potential.
3. Research and Development
   Besides serving as sales and promotion, marketing also plays a role in product research and development so that products provided by the business are always up to date and can meet changing market needs. It aims to increase sales and company profits. Marketing must research consumer needs and innovate certain products that are owned by the company, as well as ascertain whether the product can meet consumer needs or need to be refined.
4. Implementation of the Marketing Communication Concept
   Marketing communication or marketing communication is an area of ​​communication that is tasked with carrying out a communication strategy in communicating a product. Therefore marketing as an agent of marketing communication must have a role in building good relations between companies and consumers by means of good conversation as well.

# Marketing Plan and Marketing Strategy

By implementing good marketing communication to build a good relationship with consumers, another thing that must be done by the marketing team is to make a marketing plan and run a good marketing strategy. You might think that the marketing strategy and marketing plans are the same things, but actually, the two things are a different entity.

1. Marketing Plan
   A series of systematic and coordinated processes of management that lead to marketing strategies to achieve goals so that marketing plans can be made. So a marketing plan is something that will drive marketing strategies in a business.
2. Marketing Strategy
   In a sense, the marketing strategy includes the ‘what’ you want to achieve to increase profits in the business that the company will receive with the business you are doing. Examples such as you have to provide detailed information to consumers about what products you offer and also the uniqueness of your product from other similar products.