Download Marketing and Sales Overview

Marketing and Sales
For electronic resources, links to relevant websites, and for further information on this
occupational sector, visit the Careers
A-Z section of the Careers Centre website:
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers
Overview
Marketing and Sales are not the same thing. The Chartered Institute
of Marketing (CIM) defines marketing as: `the management process
responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying customer
requirements profitably’. This highlights the fact that at the heart of
marketing is the customer. Marketing actually involves a variety of
disciplines including: market research, product development and
planning, pricing, packaging, distribution and promotion (which includes
advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion and PR), selling and after
sales service. Selling, on the other hand, is a subset of the overall
marketing process and usually involves direct contact with the customer,
whether the actual consumer, another industrial company or a retailer.
The emphasis today, within many sales functions, is not only on acquiring
new business and hitting sales targets but on forming and developing
ongoing relationships with customers, establishing their requirements and
then providing responsive sales support.
The typical organisations involved in marketing and sales are diverse. Marketing roles exist in both the private and
public sector with anything from chocolate bars to financial services all needing marketers. The range of organisations
advertising for marketing roles at St Andrews include: healthcare, energy services, software houses, retailers,
aerospace, manufacturing (food, medical, chemical, metals, cars, cosmetics), charities, telecoms, communication
consultancies, brand and marketing consultancies, customer relationship consultancies, media, biomedical, transport,
language schools, publishing and Higher Education. There is emphasis on large manufacturers and brand consultancies.
How do I find out more?
Use the Careers Centre website to begin an on-line search and to find professional organisations relating to Marketing
and Sales, eg the Chartered Institute of Marketing and The Institute of Sales & Marketing Management.
Visit the Careers Alumni Network on the Careers Centre website (Networking section) and find alumni of the university
who work in Marketing and Sales
Use LinkedIn – this professional networking site can be a great way to make contact with St Andrews alumni working in
this sector. By joining the St Andrews alumni groups, University of St Andrews Alumni and University of St Andrews Mentorship Programme, you are able to make contact directly with alumni. Further details can be found on our website
www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers/alumni/networkwithstudentsandalumni/linkedin/
Use Careers Centre JobsOnline to view vacancies and login to select your occupational preferences.
http://st-andrews.prospects.ac.uk/
Check the Careers Centre website to find events relating to Marketing / Sales
Read marketing and sales case studies on www.prospects.ac.uk.
Is it right for me?

Have I spoken to someone who actually works in marketing and/or sales to find out more about it?
Have I had experience of marketing eg a student event/society?
Do I have sufficient commercial awareness?
Do I enjoy coming up with ideas and can I motivate a team?
Can I communicate why I am interested in marketing/sales and why I am suited to it?
Am I confident, persuasive with an outgoing, lively personality?
Am I resilient with the ability to cope with rejection?
Do I have the ability to flourish in a competitive environment?
(continued overleaf)
MARKETING: Do I have what it takes?
Evidence
The ability to plan, organise and work on your own initiative
Strong analytical skills, often numerate
A keen interest in the product or service being marketed
Motivation for change and development
Good communication skills and interpersonal skills, including team working
SALES: Do I have what it takes?
Evidence
Excellent communication skills, including the ability to persuade and
negotiate
Good networking and relationship building with customers, be they big
businesses or the public
The ability to listen carefully to the customer and to use perceptive
analysis to adapt sales techniques to customer needs
A strong competitive and commercial motivation and desire to hit targets
The ability to develop specialist knowledge of products or services on
offer
Tactics for success
Find out as much as you can about companies you’re interested in by talking to them at the Graduate Management
& Finance Fair in October and at presentations they give throughout the year.
Use the Careers Alumni Network to get in touch with graduates of the university who are working for companies
you’re interested in. Use the network to ask questions about their role, the company, training and so on.
Work experience is valuable. Larger companies offer summer internships which can be an important stepping
stone to a permanent graduate job. However, more informal work experience e.g. with telephone marketing /
working with a student society / club marketing an event can be very helpful. Register with getin2marketing.com
website to find marketing work placements.
Some training companies place graduates into professional sales roles, then provide a period of training.
Examples of such companies are www.meta-morphose.co.uk and www.pareto.co.uk.
Employers look for numerate candidates and often have online tests so if you are a bit rusty it would make sense to
brush up on your general numeracy skills. Tests are available for you to practice on Careers Wiki.
Remember to get your CV and at least one application checked at the Careers Centre. Application forms for larger
companies can be quite lengthy so leave plenty of time to complete them.
Next Steps
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Liz Batterham is the careers adviser responsible for this occupational area.
Visit the Careers Centre website to check when Liz is the afternoon adviser.
THIS SHEET CAN BE MADE AVAILABLE IN ALTERNATIVE (EG LARGE PRINT) FORMATS
PLEASE ASK AT RECEPTION
August 2013
Careers Centre, 6 St Mary’s Place, St Andrews, KY16 9UY
[t] 01334 462688 [e] [email protected] [w] www.st-andrews.ac.uk/careers