When it comes to marketing, there are plenty of misconceptions, some inoffensive and others just downright outrageous. As marketers, we hear these fallacies from friends, family, and you guessed it: clients.

Here are some of the standouts:

1. I AM WAITING FOR…

The waiting game. We run into it more often than not. A client comes to us knowing that he is in trouble, or sometimes just with goals he’d like to achieve in the near future, but yet, said client then disappears. We all want to get our ducks in a row, but instead of helping, this can have the opposite effect. Waiting for something to happen, whether it is the sale of a home or closing a big client before starting your marketing can be paralyzing and leaves you missing out on valuable opportunities. Moral of the story? Smart marketing always yields results.

2. I KNOW SOMEONE WHO CAN…

A strong strategy should be followed to a T. That means that every part of the strategy should be executed at the same level. It is great that you have a cousin that can shoot your video, but it is likely that rather than saving money, you are instead wasting both money and time. For marketing to be successful each piece must be cohesive, from the business card to the images on the website. When you don’t properly invest the money in your marketing strategy to have it professionally done, you end up with a solution that is more of a bandaid instead of a permanent fix.A professional is worth their weight in gold.

3. YEAH, YEAH, I NEED MARKETING…

At some point, our clients have come to realize on their own or have simply been told that they need marketing, but they still aren’t thoroughly convinced. It translates to them feeling as though they are spending money, versus wisely investing it into their business. It also means that some bad marketing decisions are likely to follow. If a client is just spending money, it means there is no strategy in place, no bigger picture. Oftentimes, knowing that they need marketing doesn’t mean that they understand the difference between a short-term strategy and a long-term strategy, or what to expect from either one. Marketing should always be an investment, not an expense.

4. IF I DON’T SEE RESULTS I WON’T CONTINUE…

Not seeing immediate results isn’t uncommon. The majority of your marketing strategies will be focused on long-term outcomes and not on the immediate turn around. A good marketing strategy will have a happy blend of the two, but even with short-term strategies you can’t expect over night success — especially if you are planning to pull the plug. If you only send out two postcards in the series of the five that were intended, you can’t expect the desired success. Marketing needs the proper amount of time to work.

5. I WILL DO ONE PART AND THE REST WHEN…

A client is given a marketing strategy that contains several different tasks that must be executed to achieve the desired goal. If only one portion is executed, the marketing strategy has a high probability of failing. If your fitness trainer gives you a weight loss plan, and you choose to only comply with one-fifth of it, you won’t get the desired result. Marketing is no different. While you may see a slight benefit, you will not achieve the desired goals and you will be left wondering why you “spent” the money to begin with. A marketing strategy requires a full commitment.

6. SALES ARE DOWN, WE NEED TO CUT OUR MARKETING…

Tough times can force a company to take a hard look at their budget. However, when sales are down, marketing is the last place you should cut costs. Marketing is your source of revenue and business, so cutting it means that you are likely to plunge sales further down. An effective marketing strategy can help a company break out of a downward spiral, particularly if its competitors are taking market share. If a company stops engaging with its prospects and its existing client base, sales will continue to go down. Leave your marketing budget untouched.

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