Sales and marketing are two sides of the business equation that often has a reputation for not getting on. It looks like a marriage made in hell… but it doesn’t need to be this way.

Sometimes you just read a book and it brings together all the thoughts you’ve had over the years and distils them together succinctly.

I’m now a small business owner and I’ve worked in several small businesses and start-ups. Money is always tight. But why do so many business owners appear to turn off when the word ‘marketing’ is mentioned?

Sunrise to sunset is another one of those phrases that focuses the mind on long time commitment to a customer. Others include ‘cradle to grave’, ‘womb to tomb’ and, more graphically, ‘lust to dust’.

I’m sure you can all remember a time when you were hauled into the MD’s office to dissect all the reasons why you had lost a contract or sales opportunity. But how do you really get a good insight into how you could have won the deal?