Lately, I’ve been playing the “what if you were wrong” game with the self-employed professionals and creatives I coach. It goes like this:

Client: Jane at XYZ Company hasn’t gotten back to me. They must not want to hire me.
C.J.: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Hmm, maybe I should text her and ask what’s up?

A moment’s consideration about the possibility her thinking might be off base transformed my client’s discouraged paralysis into productive action. Examining where you might be wrong about marketing can be a highly useful exercise for any self-employed pro. Consider these examples:

Client: I don’t want to limit myself by choosing a target market. I think I’ll market my business to anyone who might need my services.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Huh. I might be spreading myself too thin if I market to everybody. Maybe it would be a good idea to narrow it down a bit.

Client: The economy is so bad right now, I’m never going to get any big-ticket business. I’d better concentrate on small contracts until things pick up again.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: I guess that could be a mistake. I’ll never get any big-ticket business unless I seek it out, right?

Client: I introduced myself to all those prospective clients already. They’ll get in touch if they need me.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Ooh, they could forget about me if they don’t hear from me in a while. Maybe I should try to keep in touch.

Client: Everybody says that social media is the best way for solo pros to market themselves. I’m going to stop my other marketing and put all my effort into Instagram.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Well, maybe I should ask some established solo pros what their experience has been first.

Client: I don’t like making follow-up calls. It should do just as well to send emails instead.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Oh. I could lose out on a lot of sales if people don’t read my emails. Maybe I should make a few calls, too.

Client: I got a great offer from my professional association to have a display booth at their conference. I bet it will bring in lots of clients.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Perhaps I should call my colleague who bought a booth last year and see what results she got.

Client: Now that my new website is up, I should start getting plenty of business online without having to do much else about marketing.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: Well, I think Facebook ads would be a great way to attract more clients to my website.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that, too?
Client: Ah, maybe I shouldn’t let go of the networking and referral-building I’ve been doing until I see how well I do online.

As you can see, questioning your assumptions about marketing can lead to designing a much more solid strategy. You can try asking yourself what if you were wrong, but it can be even more powerful to have a friend, colleague, or coach ask you. And, as in the last example above, keep asking until you feel satisfied with your new conclusions.

There’s one more type of assumption about marketing you might want to question — not what you’re planning to do, but how you feel about doing it:

Client: Marketing is scary. It’s uncomfortable, too. I’ll never be any good at it.
Coach: What if you were wrong about that?
Client: I guess I could learn to do it better. Maybe then it won’t be so scary or uncomfortable.

The next time you decide to do something about marketing –- or not do it –- take a moment and play the “what if you were wrong” game. You may discover an entirely new perspective, and ultimately, be right more often.

This post was first published in 2015 and has been updated for 2026.