One of the other reasons people hate marketing is because it seems like common sense - yet those things that seem intuitive just don’t work. Many of the things that do work in marketing don’t seem to make sense on the surface. Here are some things that seem like common sense, but are counter-intuitive.

1. It makes sense to grab every opportunity. Most people don’t want to turn away business. Yet not everyone makes a good client. Who might make a bad client?
   • Those who clash with your personality.
   • Those who don’t value your products and services.
   • Those looking for bargains or the cheapest available option.
   • Those who nitpick or micromanage everything you do.
   • Those who need constant attention and handholding.

   Good marketing requires that you focus on a narrow subset of people you decide ahead of time you’d like to work with.

2. It makes sense to focus on your own needs. Most people market so they can “get” clients. Yet good marketing is about “giving” rather than “getting.” To stay in business, you need enough clients to cover your expenses each month. But if your marketing materials or your interactions with prospects sound like you need their business right now so you can meet your sales quota or pay your end-of-month bills, you end up sounding desperate. Perhaps you’ve read ads like this. They say something to the effect of “Please hire me. I promise I’ll do a good job.” The ad is all about the company and what the company needs.

   Good marketing focuses on providing value to prospects. It doesn’t beg them to call for a free consultation, which is just a sales pitch in disguise. Rather, it gives them information they’ll find helpful.

3. It makes sense to talk about your accomplishments. How many ads do you read where the company boasts that it’s No. 1 in a particular area or they’ve been in business for over 50 years or they’ve won all sorts of sales awards. They think this type of marketing demonstrates their expertise, when really, it comes across as bragging.

   The truth is that when prospects are trying to gather information about their problems and concerns, what gets their attention is information relevant to those problems and concerns - not your sales credentials. Sure, they may want to know that later in the process when they’re ready to hire someone, but it’s not something that gets their attention in an ad or mailing.

4. It makes sense to convince prospects to hire you. Sales training books and seminars are filled with ways to overcome objections and get the sale. You want to convince your prospect that you are the right choice and they’d be silly not to close the deal and hire you right now. The problem with this is that people absolutely hate to be sold. Most people pick up on when someone is trying to get them to do something they’re not quite sure they want to do - and it leaves them with a bad impression.

   Instead, focus on your prospect’s needs. While people hate to be sold, they love to buy - and they especially love working with people they know, like, and trust. What do prospects want? A trusted adviser who will listen to their needs, concerns, worries and problems and advise them on the best solution. They want to hire a business that puts their needs above his or her own.

Marketing is not common sense, because it requires that you take a step back from your own perspective and look at things the way your prospects and clients are likely to view the world. For your marketing to be successful, focus on what your prospects and clients think they need. Not what you think they need. Not what you need. What they think they need. If you can give them what they want, selling your products and services becomes considerably easier.

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