If a company has a sales department, why spend money on PR? This question is often asked by companies that view communications as an optional or secondary function — especially when they face the task of optimizing expenses.
Our Business Development Manager, Anastasia Nyrkova, breaks down this topic in the article below.
At first glance, it might seem that both sales and PR work toward the exact same goal: attracting customers. In reality, they handle entirely different tasks and influence different stages of the decision-making process. Sales help close the deal, while PR ensures that customers already trust you long before that deal even happens.
That is why a PR budget is an investment in reputation, which directly influences the decisions of clients, partners, candidates, and even investors.
Sales Close Deals. PR Builds Trust
Between a customer’s first contact with a brand and the actual purchase, there is the so-called “messy middle” — the stage where a person searches for information, reads reviews, compares options, and decides whom to choose. This is exactly where PR plays a pivotal role.
While sales teams work with an active, ready-to-buy request, PR influences the decision much earlier. Through media coverage, expert commentary, public speaking, content, and a strong professional presence, PR builds brand awareness and solidifies trust so that the customer chooses you over the competition.
Reputation Matters Just as Much as Price
People are increasingly looking for the best solution, not just the cheapest one. They put more trust in what others say about a brand rather than what the brand says about itself.
This is where PR helps a company become a brand that customers perceive as reliable, professional, and worthy of attention.
Without PR, Sales Become More Expensive
Many companies pour significant budgets strictly into advertising. While this can work well for a while, over time, acquiring each new customer becomes more expensive.
When a brand lacks awareness, the business is forced to constantly “buy” the audience’s attention. Conversely, a strong reputation and a solid public presence help shorten the customer journey and boost the efficiency of all marketing activities. PR creates brand equity that pays off over the long haul.
PR Impacts More Than Just Customers
Communications help build relationships not only with buyers but also with partners, investors, job candidates, and the professional community at large.
Sales focus on customers. PR works for the entire business, expanding far beyond just its commercial function.
PR Is Not an Expense, But Part of a Growth System
PR has long ceased to be just about media placements or the sheer number of mentions. Today, its effectiveness can be measured through brand awareness, audience trust levels, reputation quality, share of voice (SOV) in the market, and even its direct impact on business results.
That is why a PR budget is not an extra expense item, but an investment in the company’s systematic growth. After all, while sales can secure a deal, they cannot independently build the reputation that so often becomes the deciding factor when choosing a brand.
Conclusion
“Sales help close a deal, but it is PR that ensures the customer chooses you out of dozens of competitors. Therefore, a separate PR budget is an investment in the brand, trust, and reputation that influence a customer’s decision long before their first contact with the sales department. This is the exact driver that secures long-term business growth, both today and in the future,” Anastasia concluded.
