Ever heard someone say “build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door”? After 30+ years in marketing and product development, I’m here to tell you that’s complete nonsense. This Monday Myth Check tackles one of the most dangerous beliefs in business: that great products sell themselves.
No Visibility Equals No Sales
Even the most brilliant products need to be discovered. Right now, I’m building Forged Mentor, and despite having a rapidly growing client base, we’re still in that crucial early stage where strategic marketing makes or breaks everything. It amazes me how startups will invest heavily in product development but skimp on marketing—the very thing that gets their product to market.
Customer Trust Takes Hard Work
People buy from brands they trust, and trust doesn’t happen overnight. It’s built through consistent messaging, reputation, and credibility delivered across sales and marketing channels. This involves storytelling, social media engagement, public relations, and genuine customer connections before, during, and after purchase.
Sure, word-of-mouth is powerful (we even have a program called WOMBAT—Word-of-Mouth Best Advertising Technique), but it’s not enough on its own.
Competitors Will Always Shout Louder
If you’re not actively marketing your product, competitors will jump ahead—even with inferior offerings. History is littered with better products that lost to superior marketing strategies.
Your Action Plan
Start by crafting a clear value story that puts customers at the center. Remember, people connect on emotion first, then act on details. Build a marketing and sales strategy that clearly articulates how your product improves customers’ lives, then consistently communicate that message across all channels.
The bottom line? Your product won’t sell itself—but with the right strategy, you can build a sales engine that eventually does.
About Monday Myth Check
Monday Myth Check is a weekly dose of reality where Jono Brake holds up commonly held leadership beliefs and asks the question “What if this was not true”. You can find the weekly videos and other posts by following Jono Brake on LinkedIn or following The Forged Leader, as well as on Youtube @jonobrake.
Take Action: Join The Forged Mentor Community
Did you know that most leaders feel like they have to figure their journey out alone? Having a mentor and coach in your corner who understands your journey aspirations and challenges are invaluable for your personal and professional growth. You can continue this conversation inside The Forged Mentor, our monthly mentoring program for business owners and leaders. It’s free to connect with more interactive programs starting from $199 per month – you will join a community of like minded leaders and receive great content, advice and community, so you don’t have to do this journey alone.