---
title: Small Business Sales Misconceptions
description: Have you ever been in a classroom, lecture hall, seminar or meeting room and wanted to ask the speaker a question, but didn't because you were afraid
image: https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-247387985-jpg/images/horshack.jpg
---

# [SELLING IN THE 21ST CENTURY](https://www.rickroberge.com/)

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# [Science for Sales Rock Stars](https://www.rickroberge.com/)

## [Small Business Sales Misconceptions](https://www.rickroberge.com/Blog/bid/324917/Small-Business-Sales-Misconceptions)

![](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/hubfs/RR.jpg?width=35&height=35&name=RR.jpg)

 By [Rick Roberge](https://www.rickroberge.com/author/rick-roberge)   Aug 5, 2013 1:46:00 PM

![Horshack](https://www.rickroberge.com/hs-fs/file-247387985-jpg/images/horshack.jpg)Have you ever been in a classroom, lecture hall, seminar or meeting room and wanted to ask the speaker a question, but didn't because you were afraid that it might be viewed as a stupid, inappropriate or silly question? Have you ever gone ahead and asked the question and had somebody (or several somebodys) tell you later that they were thinking the same question and they were glad that you asked it? I'm pretty normal and my attitude is that if I'm thinking it, most everybody in the room is thinking it. So, I ask the question. (Just like Horshack.)

Honestly, sometimes people tell me that they're glad that I asked the question and sometimes they say that they're glad that they didn't ask the question. Either way, I made there life better.

So, [Pete Caputa](http://www.linkedin.com/in/pc4media) made a great comment on [yesterday's post](http://rickroberge.com/Blog/bid/324446/Myths-and-Mistakes-by-Inbound-Marketers-and-Sales) that's probably on everybody's mind, but he's the one that put his hand up. So, he gets the attention. Pete's a good guy to know. He's a straight-shooter. He doesn't have an agenda. (Don't misunderstand. He wants to sell Hubspot, but that's not his agenda. His agenda is whether or not a mutual relationship will be plus-plus, what that would look like and how it should happen.) He's not afraid to say that there is no fit. He's also very good at picking out and working with [rock stars](https://twitter.com/jmctigue).

Now, Pete referred to a "well educated prospect that comes to me ready to buy, who fits my target market" and I agree that most people could and would agree that that's the goal, but for a small business owner, the founder of a startup, or a solopreneur, what is the right course of action?

Inbound Marketing? if you have enough time (and money)

Advertising? if you have enough money (and time)

Outbound Sales? probably not unless you're very good at it already

Inbound Sales? Where you gonna get the leads?

Business Development? What is that anyway? Is that for people that can't sell or market?

Repsectfully, the typical small business owner oftendoesn't have the time, nor the money, nor the aptitude to become an expert at one of these things, let alone all of them. So, how can he/she find those "well educated prospects that come to them ready to buy, who fit their target market"?

**[Would this help](https://www.rickroberge.com/where-does-your-funnel-need-help/)**?

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<https://plus.google.com/116082120720832878924/posts?rel=author>BTW, do you have an idea or question that would make a good article? Would you like to write or co-author it? Either way, **[ send me an email](mailto:therainmakermaker@gmail.com?Subject=Blog%20article/author%20idea)**.

**[Rick Roberge](https://plus.google.com/116082120720832878924/posts?rel=author)**

## About this blog

*This blog is for, by and about  
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Entrepreneurs  
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