Is there anything else more invigorating and revitalizing than starting a new business or venture? I think not. Over the past 20 years I’ve had the pleasure of starting a few.

Like me, you’ll find—or maybe have found—that with all that excitement comes energy and the desire to market, promote and advertise your new item. I’ve noticed something just recently in talking with a few people and seeing some posts on different marketing forums. What I’ve noticed is that somehow the ugly forms of advertising we dislike and almost hate are now acceptable forms for marketing when we start our businesses. What am I saying?

Think about this and see whether or not you agree. Cold calling and cold callers in general are not appreciated by most Americans in any way, shape or form. Keep that in mind when you decide to start prospecting for new business. Just because you’re now doing your own thing doesn’t mean people are receptive and willing to talk to cold callers. They never were and they still aren’t.

Banner ads on web sites have a very small click-through ratio. Let me ask you, when you visit a site do you find yourself frequently clicking on the banners? Most Internet users don’t. In fact, click-through rates average 1 to 2 %. So if a web site owner tells you he/she has 350,000 visitors per month, before you get all excited and buy a banner ad on the site for even one month, keep this in mind: People don’t click on banners. Do you? Think about it, not from a business owner’s point of view, but from the point of view of a potential customer. Did you click on banners before you started your business? More than likely – not.

Banners are really there to help you with exposure over a long period of time, not to gain lots of business in the short term.

So, just because you’ve started a new business and see an unbelievable deal for 40 bazillion impressions on this web site for a fairly reasonable amount of money ….keep this in mind before you purchase: You didn’t click on banners before you started your business. What makes you think now that you have your business people are going to click on your banner?

What I’m saying here is this. Just because you have a business and want to advertise it doesn’t necessarily mean people are going to change overnight and become open to your advertising. It’s nothing against you; it’s just the way we humans are.

So before you rush off and begin your marketing campaign, keep this one rule in mind: People are people and they aren’t likely to change their habits.

You can reach them, just use some common sense and use advertising avenues that might work on you. Think from your potential customer’s point of view.