Planning is like the mid-fielder on a soccer team. Planning involves being on the offensive and developing goals so that the business can win the game. Without this position on the team, the game will be lost because there is no game plan. As the saying goes, business people who fail to plan, plan to fail. Marketing is like the striker on a soccer team.
Marketing scores the goals or makes the sale.
Just as a striker must be skilled in handling the ball and in shooting it, so small business people need to develop skills in handling customers and selling their product or service. Marketing involves knowing the opposition and the playing field and developing strategies or plays to take advantage of team strengths and opposition weaknesses. Just as the striker must finish the play to win the game, so in marketing the businessperson must close the deal and follow through with it for the business to succeed. Managing is like the coach of a soccer team. The coach has to make sure all the details are taken care of for the team to get to the game and be ready to play it.