Yesterday, I got a call from a rep from a window and door company we used a few years ago. They’re offering existing customers discounts on new installs. At some point in the conversation the rep says to me “I’m not in sales, I’m in marketing”.
My response: you’re trying to sell me on the idea of scheduling an appointment – aren’t you.
Rep: …well yes.
Me: Then you’re a salesman aren’t you?
Few things burn me up more than people who don’t understand their true role in an organization – it’s SALES. Every person in 
every organization is in sales. Every action, every conversation regardless of your job title is to move the prospect towards one action – a buying decision. In this case a buying decision would have been setting up an appointment to talk with their “sales rep” (I’m buying the appointment by spending my time).
Question: would you eat in a restaurant with a filthy restroom. I would not, and I hope you would not either. That means the person cleaning the toilet is in sales. His responsibility is to keep the restroom spic and span so that people will buy. If your janitor doesn’t understand that then you’re missing the boat.
One more question: would you shop at a retail store with poor customer service. I don’t and you shouldn’t either. Hey, that means the gal in customer service is really in sales. Maybe she’s rude because it has not been clearly communicated to her that she’s in sales.
The point is we’re all sales people. Does not matter what your “title” is unless the company specifically hired you to help them lose customers then, you’re involved in sales. So, regardless of your job title you owe it to yourself to read at least one book on sales. Daniel Pink has a great one To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Moving Others
Something to make you go – hmm! Perhaps the reason the “marketing rep” could not move me to schedule an appointment for something I was absolutely willing to discuss with a “sales rep” is because he thought hey I’m not in sales.
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