You say "po-tay-to," I say "po-tah-to"

OK- I am purely "professionally" venting right now...

I am a Marketer. Not a Sales Person. They are totally two different things all together.

As a Marketer, my job is to promote, to build awareness, to help establish a brand, to build customer loyalty, to advertise, to bring the client to the Sales Person.

As a Sales Person, their job is to sell. And sell. And sell. To close the deal, get the check, get the order, follow up with the customer who is still making the decision-- to sell.

Many times you will see the Marketer and the Sales Person be the same person. But, clearly, they are two different skill sets. And I happen to specialize in the former, and absolutely stink at the latter.

I am fabulous at putting together an event to Market a company. However, you put me in front of a client to collect money, and I fall apart. I can totally believe in a product and/or company, and be the biggest, best Cheerleader/Marketer they have ever seen. But once I start trying to actually make the sale, I feel some huge personal responsibility that I, alone, am accountable for the quality and performance of the product. And I hate it.

I try to differientiate when talking to prospective employers. I am quite emphatic, actually, that I DO NOT sell. Yet, I must have some signal I unconciously send out that makes people think I have skills I do not have.

I know I have good people skills. I know I have drive, tenacity, detail, follow up, etc. I can set appointments for the sales person, even. But when it comes to driving home the sale and having the cash in hand, I have a total disconnect.

It's very frustrating. I want to do a good job for people. I want to help them in any way possible. But I am incapable of being a true, hard-core sales person.

I think that for some people it is hard to see much of a difference between Marketing and Sales. But there is a world of difference between me successfully bringing the client to the door, and then retaining them after the sale, versus having to have them sign on the dotted line.

I am fortunate to be able to use my skills and talents in a variety of settings: PTO, church, personal projects, etc. But I just wish I could find a way to get paid for doing what I do well, instead of stressing out over what I don't do well at all.

Maybe someday... But for now, I feel like a square peg in a round hole...