I never ceased to be amazed at how little most small-business people know about marketing. Every single marketing problem I’ve ever helped a client deal with is the result of misunderstanding.

The most common misperception I confront is that, due to the special nature of their business, they don’t need to do any marketing. On the contrary, every business needs to do marketing. And, in fact, the more specialized your business, the more marketing you probably need to do. People who are professionals and service providers are the worst offenders in this regard.

They mistakenly equate marketing with advertising, and then denounce it as beneath their dignity. I try to explain that there’s far more to marketing than advertising. I offer suggestions on publicity and public relations. I discuss newsletters and Web pages. I talk about teaching classes and giving speeches. I explain how to write and place newspaper articles and generate positive word of mouth.

I offer advice about choosing office stationery and taping the right answering machine message. I even discuss how pricing can be an element of marketing. My message is always, in essence, the same: marketing is the cultivation and spreading of a positive image that will attract and, by reinforcement, keep people and customers. As such, it is a sine qua non for any business.

Won’t it cost a fortune?

Your real problem is you don’t understand the nature of marketing: it doesn’t necessarily cost a great deal of money. You are viewing marketing emotionally, rather than rationally. Marketing, while an expense, is intended to generate increased revenues by exposing your products or services to a larger market of potential clients or customers. The issue you should be concentrating on isn’t how much marketing will cost, but how much you need to spend and where, in order to increase your revenues enough to generate a profit.

Become a student of marketing. Look for contacts within your industry or professional organization for advice on marketing. Contact your local chamber of commerce. Investigate courses at the local college. Speak with other successful practitioners or business-people in your profession or business. Talk to public relations and advertising agencies. Ask the sales representatives of local media outlets, newspapers, magazines, radio stations, cable television stations, to provide you with information on the reach of their particular medium.

Trust isn’t an issue here. You can solve your problem by defining your situation rationally and then becoming an expert. There isn’t a need for an appeal, since the no is inside your own head.Does your small business accept credit card payment ? Visit Moneris.com for your merchant account needs.