While young firms obviously face numerous challenges, and an array of pitfalls can be cited, these three traps relate specifically to flawed sales and marketing thinking. They are detrimental because they can create highly counterproductive environments for young organizations, bringing revenue generation to a crawl.

Trap #1: Believing Sales and Marketing Are the Same Function

I've heard many executives state that “sales and marketing are the same; there's really no difference between the two.” I'm not sure if this is some recent fad they read or if they really don't understand that sales and marketing are two entirely different functions that require completely different skill sets to perform effectively. Most business development professionals wouldn't know how to develop a detailed marketing strategy and budget; how to manage designers, writers, programmers, printers, and e-marketing vendors; or how to handle the details involved in producing marketing programs. Likewise, most marketing professionals wouldn't know how to build a sales compensation plan, negotiate a complex sales contract, or lead a successful sales force. And the point is––neither person should have to.

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