Remember the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner?

Costner is visited by a voice telling him to build a baseball diamond on his farm. He isn’t sure why, but the voice keeps insisting “If you build it, they will come.”

Long story short, he builds the baseball field and all the ghosts of baseball past (including his long dead father) miraculously show up to play there. Before you know it the farm is saved and the family lives happily ever after.

So, what does this have to do with marketing your business?

Well, first off, I can tell you that an “If you build it they will come” mentality works much better in the movies than in business. In fact, it does nothing but hurt you when it comes to getting customers and making sales.

I’ve seen plenty of people start businesses with a fabulous idea, exceptional product or innovative service and end up making $0. Nada. Bupkus. Many even end up way further in debt than when they started.

Why? Because all they did was “build it” and hope people would come. But since they didn’t really do much-if any-marketing nobody knew “it” existed. Or why they should want it.

These days, wishing for referrals without taking action to stimulate them amounts to the same basic thing.You’re just sitting back and hoping they will come.

Even businesses that have traditionally gotten all or most of their clients via referrals are finding it’s just not enough anymore. There’s simply too much competition out there vying for your prospects attention.

The bottom line is.Field of Dreams Syndrome is by far the deadliest of all the marketing sins or mistakes. If you are guilty, chances are you will never have the business you really want or need.

Instead you need to take action!

Luckily, you only have to do a little quality marketing on a regular basis to make a big difference in your business growth. That’s really all it
takes.

But perhaps the problem is not that you don’t want to do marketing.It’s just that you aren’t sure what to do or how to do it.

I know how it is. When you first start trying to market your business, you realize the options and opportunities are endless. But they all cost money and take time. And it’s easy to get overwhelmed and not know where you should put your hard-earned dollars.

Or maybe you’ve tried placing an ad, doing some networking, or sending out a sales letter-with little or no results. This can be discouraging to say the
least.

You know you’ve got a great product or service, but no one else seems to “get it.” Or want it.

If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, odds are good you are guilty of one of the other six deadliest small business marketing sins. But don’t worry.

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About the Author: Practical Marketing Expert Stacy Karacostas, founder of SuccessStream Sales & Marketing Solutions, specializes in taking the stress, struggle and confusion out of growing your small business. She's the author of the 2-page marketing plan workbook Putting Your Business on the Road to Success, and The Small Business Website Bible. Stacy also writes the fun and informative Marketing Junkie blog and Bright Ideas weekly newsletter. For more practical, business-building wisdom help yourself to a copy of her free report The 7 Deadliest Small Business Marketing Sins... Are You Guilty?