Behind the thinking of many marketing managers is the thought that “truth will out.”

In other words, if you have the “facts” on your side, it's only necessary to find a good advertising agency who can communicate those facts to the prospect and a good sales force that can close the sale.

We call this approach “inside-out thinking”- that somehow the advertising agency or the sales force can take the truth, as the company knows it, and use this truth to clear up the misconceptions that reside inside the mind of the prospect.

Don't be fooled. Misconceptions cannot easily be changed by an advertising or sales effort.

What is truth? Inside every human being is a little black box. When a human being is exposed to your advertising or sales claim, that person looks inside the box and says “That's right” or “That's wrong.”

The single most wasteful thing you can do in marketing today is to try to change a human mind. Once a mind is made up, it's almost impossible to change.

What is truth? Truth is the perception that's inside the mind of the prospect. It may not be your truth, but it's the only truth you can work with. You have to accept that truth and then deal with it.