When Marketing Finally Starts Making Sense
There’s a moment many business owners reach where they question if marketing is supposed to feel this hard.
They’re visible.
They’re doing what they’ve been told.
They’re putting themselves out there.
And yet, their results don't match the effort.
Today, guest host Helen von Dadelszen is back and we are diving into part Two of my new book: ‘Value Whispering: The Smarter Way to Market Your Small Business’, to explore what ‘smarter marketing’ actually is and how you can achieve it in your business to create marketing and sales that feel natural rather than forced.
We talk about client journeys, value weaving, quieter visibility, and why trying to do “all the things” is rarely the answer.
If marketing has ever felt overwhelming, awkward or ineffective, this conversation will help you see it differently.
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“You can’t meet people with a solution when they’re still trying to understand the problem. That’s why it’s so important to understand your client’s journey.” - Melitta Campbell
Why effort alone doesn’t create results
One of the frustrations Helen raises early in the conversation is deeply familiar.
You can be active.
You can be visible.
You can genuinely want to help.
And still, despite your best marketing efforts, nothing in your business moves forward the way you planned.
What’s often missing isn’t commitment however, but context.
Most marketing fails because it assumes people are ready to buy when they’re still trying to make sense of their problem and how they want to solve it.
When you skip ahead to explaining your offer, you’re speaking to a version of your client that doesn’t exist yet. That disconnect loses you customers and makes you work too hard in the process. Understanding your client journey therefore, can make all the difference in how your marketing feels and the results it gets.
The client journey most marketing ignores
We spend a large part of the episode unpacking what a client journey actually looks like. Not as a funnel or a formula, but as a thinking process.
Because people don’t move from problem to purchase in one step. They move through awareness, understanding, consideration and belief at their own pace.
And at each stage of their journey, they need different information, different support, and require different signals of trust.
When your marketing aligns with that journey, it stops feeling pushy. Layer into that your own Value Sweet Spot, as discussed in last week’s episode, you create marketing that starts a personal relationship between you and your prospect.
When it doesn’t, even well-intentioned messages fall flat.
Understanding this is what allows you to do the right things, at the right time, for the right people.
“Marketing feels pushy when it’s out of alignment with you and your values, and with where your client’s understanding of their problem and desired solution is today.” - Melitta Campbell
What value weaving changes
Helen also asked me some great questions around value weaving, and why it matters so much in part two of the book, and the Value Whispering process overall.
Value weaving isn’t about adding lots of marketing activities to your already busy schedule. In fact, often it’s the very opposite. It’s about ensuring that everything you do is aligned to your value, the needs of your dream clients, and your own personality and needs.
When your value sweet spot sits at the centre of your business, your marketing, sales conversations, and even everyday interactions start to feel natural and coherent.
People experience the same person everywhere, and that consistency builds trust without effort.
It also filters out the wrong clients, naturally, before you ever have to say no.
Being visible without being loud
A theme that runs quietly through this episode is visibility, especially for introverts and those with a softer presence.
And how Visibility - the kind that builds credibility and trust - doesn’t come from volume. It comes from resonance.
When your messages are aligned, even infrequent communication can have impact.
Old posts continue to land. Familiar ideas are heard differently as people’s situations change.
It’s not about saying more. It’s about saying what matters, consistently, and from the same place.
When marketing becomes collaborative
One of the most important shifts we talk about is this: Good marketing doesn’t push people toward a decision. It walks alongside them while they make the right one for them.
When your marketing supports thinking, reflection and confidence, clients don’t feel sold to, they feel heard and understood.
And when they’re ready, they come to you already trusting, already aligned, already believing you’re the right person to help them resolve their problem.
A Final Thought to Reflect On
Where might your marketing be asking for a decision before your client is ready to make one?
And what would change if your role was to guide the journey, rather than rush the outcome?
Marketing gets lighter when it’s built on understanding, not pressure.
💡 Ready to take action?
Purchase my brand new book: Value Whispering: The Smarter Way to Market Your Small Business on Amazon here:
About Helen, your guest host
Helen von Dadelszen is a communication coach, speaker, vocal trainer, and author of Courageous Action.
She helps thoughtful professionals communicate with clarity and confidence, without shouting, performing, or pretending to be someone they are not.
Originally from New Zealand and now based in Switzerland, Helen works internationally with business owners and leaders who care deeply about their work but struggle to express their value.
Her approach combines voice, body awareness, nervous system regulation, and practical mindset shifts.
She believes confidence is built through small, courageous actions.
Clients describe her as an “energy giver” and a calm, steady guide.
Connect with Helen
About Melitta Campbell
Melitta Campbell is an award-winning business coach, TEDx speaker, author of A Shy Girl’s Guide to Networking and founder of The Value Whispering Circle.
Through her Value WhisperingTM Blueprint, she helps introverted female entrepreneurs build quietly impactful businesses that grow through clarity, trust, and alignment.
Learn more about working with Melitta here
Ready to Grow Your Business?
Learn more about the ways you can work with Melitta Campbell to uncover your Value Sweet Spot to market, sell and grow your business confidently, and always on your terms.
Connect with Melitta
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