The Better Product Fallacy

Another fallacy ingrained in the minds of most marketing managers is the belief that the better product will win the marketing battle. Behind the thinking of many marketing managers is the thought that truth will out. In other words, if you have the facts on your side, its only necessary to find a good advertising agency who can communicate those facts to the prospect and a good sales force that can close the sale. We call this approach inside-out thinking- that somehow the advertising agency or the sales force can take the truth, as the company knows it, and use this truth to clear up the misconceptions that reside inside the mind of the prospect. Dont be fooled. Misconceptions cannot easily be changed by an advertising or sales effort. What is truth? Inside every human being is a little black box. When a human being is exposed to your advertising or sales claim, that person looks inside the box and says Thats right or Thats wrong. The single most wasteful thing you can do in marketing today is to try to change a human mind. Once a mind is made up, its almost impossible to change. What is truth? Truth is the perception thats inside the mind of the prospect. It may not be your truth, but its the only truth you can work with. You have to accept that truth and then deal with it.