Here’s a classic story, courtesy of the late-great-copywriter Gary Halbert – a big company (which shall go unnamed) hires Halbert to create a full-page direct-response ad to launch their company. He does; it works fabulously well and is running continuously in USA TODAY and many major city daily newspapers.

Later, he gets called to a corporate meeting, introduced to the firm’s new Madison Avenue ad agency, and asked to preserve the ad’s effectiveness but “tone it down” and make it more “appropriate” for a big, successful company.

The owners of this company succumbed to pressure from their country club buddies, inept Madison Ave. types, wall streeters, etc. to take an ad that was making them millions of dollars a month and neuter it.

We see this kind of stupidity in big companies constantly.  But also in small businesses as well.  Many business people are hyper-sensitive about their precious image and status, and think about it constantly – while their prospects never think about it.

Effective marketing is almost always criticized – by your associates, peers, spouse, friends, and mother. However, the blunt truth is that none of their opinions count. The only opinions that count are those expressed by people who might give you money. In other words, it’s the customer’s response that matters.