Why marketing a small business has nothing to do with selling

Why is it that when we have something to offer our clients and our customers, the harder we try to sell it, the less likely people are to buy it?  People like to buy things but they hate being sold to and this is why marketing really has nothing to do with selling.

Selling is the part of the process that happens once somebody has built up the trust and relationships with you.  The trust and respect to actually to be able to spend money with you.

So if marketing has got nothing to do with selling what is it all about?

Marketing is all about building relationships with people.  Marketing is about turning strangers into friends and turning those friends into clients.

Next time you are trying to sell something and you find that no one is buying, it may be that actually you are trying to sell too hard.  You probably need to back off from the selling and do more of the marketing.

Other articles you may be interested in:

1. Marketing Drip-Feed is Essential for Small Business Success
2. When is the right time to sell?
3. Writing a Marketing Plan for Your Small Business: The 3 questions you must answer