The Way You See Marketing Determines Your Business Success

There’s 4 groups of entrepreneurs when it comes to how they perceive marketing and only one group consistently grows

The way you see marketing determines the level of success you experience in your business.

Over the years, I’ve noticed that there are four distinct categories of people when it comes to how they view marketing. 

And interestingly, each category has a direct correlation to the results they experience in their business.

After decades working in marketing and nearly a decade coaching women in business, this pattern shows up again and again.

Some entrepreneurs resist marketing altogether.
Some misuse it.
Some treat it as a set of tasks.

And then there are the ones who truly understand how to use it.

So, the question is: Which one are you?

Let’s explore the four types.

1. The Avoiders

The first group I call the Avoiders.

These are the people who openly say things like:

• “I don’t want to do marketing.”
• “I don’t want to be a marketer.”
• “I just want to focus on the work.”

Instead of marketing, they tend to rely on:

• referrals
• word of mouth
• responding to posts
• hoping clients simply appear
  

The problem with this approach is that client sales are unpredictable.

Referrals might work well for a while, but they’re not something you have any control over. When referrals slow down, business slows down too.

A business needs a consistent flow of clients, and throughout history that has always come from marketing.

So why do avoiders resist it?

Usually because they’ve attached a negative meaning to marketing.

They believe marketing is:

• pushy
• manipulative
• sleazy
• lacking integrity
  

Often this belief comes from a bad experience they’ve had with someone else’s marketing.

But here’s the important distinction:

Marketing itself doesn’t make someone unethical.

Unethical people simply do unethical marketing.

There are countless business owners who market with integrity, honesty, and authenticity every single day.

Marketing doesn’t change who you are. It simply becomes a way for you to communicate your value.

2. The Tricksters

The second category sits on the opposite end of the spectrum.

I call them the Tricksters.

These are the people who see marketing as a collection of tricks designed to:

• manipulate
• pressure
• convince
• push people into buying
  

To them, marketing is about getting the sale at any cost.

Sometimes this approach works temporarily. They may generate quick revenue.

But it rarely lasts.

Why?

Because trust eventually breaks.

Clients talk. Word spreads. Reputations catch up.

When people realise they’ve been misled or pressured into a decision, the damage spreads quickly , and as you’ve probably noticed…. businesses built this way often collapse just as fast as they grow!

Think back to those ones who jumped onto the scene seemed to be super successful in 2024…and you wondered how people were falling for their empty claims?

Where are they now? Have you seen them recently or have they faded away?

Short-term gains at the cost of integrity rarely translate into long-term success.

3. The Builders

The third group are the Builders.

Builders understand that marketing is necessary.

They treat it like one of the essential tasks required to run a business. Just like monthly payroll, they create a process and diligently follow it.

They typically focus on actions like:

• posting content
• sending emails
• running ads
• following marketing checklists
  

Because they are consistent and taking action, they usually see some level of results.

However, they often view marketing primarily as a tactical activity.

Their focus tends to be on what to do next rather than on the deeper strategic alignment behind it.

As a result, they experience small improvements over time, but rarely the big breakthroughs that dramatically change their business growth.

They’re doing the work, but the strategy behind it lacks the sophistication to make bigger gains.

The downfall usually comes a few years in.  After keeping up this level of energy for so long they get tired, and despondent that it’s not working as well as they know it could.

4. The Impact Makers

The fourth category is the rarest - where the most successful entrepreneurs operate.

I call them the Impact Makers.

Impact Makers see marketing completely differently.

They understand that marketing is the vehicle that allows them to fulfill their purpose.

The better they get at marketing:

• the more people they can reach
• the more lives they can change
• the greater impact they can create
  

To them, marketing is not about convincing people.

It’s about helping the right people make the right decision.

Marketing becomes a process of:

• communicating clearly
• building trust & connection
• helping people understand their problem better
• showing them what’s possible
  

It removes confusion and barriers so that people can confidently choose the help they need.

Impact Makers are also extremely clear about who they serve, and who they don’t.

They are NOT trying to attract everyone.

They’re focused on attracting the right people.

And because of that clarity, their marketing feels authentic, aligned, and natural.

Marketing Is Simply a Relationship

Think about it like this.

You don’t meet someone for the first time and immediately ask them to marry you.

Relationships develop over time.

You meet.
You talk.
You get to know each other.
Trust builds.

Eventually the next step feels natural.

Marketing works exactly the same way.

It creates the relationship journey that makes the sale feel like the obvious next step.

When marketing is done well, clients don’t feel pressured. They feel confident.

The Question Every Business Owner Should Ask

The biggest difference between these four groups isn’t tactics.

It’s how they think about marketing.

Avoiders resist it.
Tricksters misuse it.
Builders execute it.

Impact Makers understand it.

And the way you see marketing will always shape the results your business produces.

When you begin to see marketing as a way to create impact, build relationships, and serve people, everything changes.

Instead of chasing clients, you start attracting them.

Want More Help to Master Your Marketing?

If you want to rethink your marketing and create predictable demand for your business, I’d love to help you with that.

I’ve created a short training series where you’ll be shown the simple framework that helps coaches and consultants:

• clarify their positioning
• simplify their marketing
• attract the right clients
• create consistent demand
  

This training condenses my 30 years of lived marketing experience into three laser-focused sessions designed to help you finally get marketing working for your business.

👉 Get access here: www.jessicaosborn.com/mym