Most business owners are pretty good at spotting red flags. Whether it's knowing from the get-go that a client will be difficult, or that a supplier will be unreliable, or that a contract that looks too good to be true probably is – we've all learned to trust our intuition.
But when it comes to sales and marketing tactics, some red flags trip up unsuspecting business owners time and time again.
Joel Stone, best-selling author and founder of Shropshire-based marketing agency Codebreak, exposes some of the most common red flags in sales and marketing.
Let’s get into it.
Promising you the world
One of the biggest red flags in the marketing world is when an agency promises you results without asking you any questions about figures or past sales data. A good agency would turn you down if they can't get an idea of your numbers.
They should also turn you down if your numbers aren't viable or you don't have much margin.
Marketing agencies that talk too much about vanity metrics like reach, impressions and likes on your social channels, should also ring alarm bells.
So many agencies are spinning the numbers to make a positive out of a negative; you can make data say anything you want.
Of course, it depends on what your goal is. But be wary when they say things like: "You've reached thousands of people, so a lot more people know about you now."
What you need to know is how frequently your ad's appearing, how often it's being seen by your target audience, whether it's clear that it's your brand in the ad and what action it's leading to.
It's all very well getting 'reach', but how's that helping your sales figures?
Pressure sales
The next red flag isn't just used by marketers. I see it from a lot of businesses and entrepreneurs, and it's this: companies that don't let their prospects out of a sale scenario until they've bought something.
These prospects then invariably end up becoming the client from hell, because they're full of buyer's remorse. They didn't want to buy, or they couldn't quite afford it, which is why they were on the fence in the first place.
If you ever feel forced into a sale, walk away. No business should have to apply that much pressure just to get customers.
No escape
Another red flag – and sadly, quite a common sales tactic – is when a company offers you a 'special deal' as a new client but then makes it hard for you to leave.
A classic example is broadband providers. They'll do great introductory offers for new customers, and if you're getting multiple services that you'd otherwise have to buy separately, it makes sense.
But when the renewal comes through a couple of years down the line, you realise it costs more to renew than it would if you left and came back again. That bothers me when it happens because I feel trapped.
And when you feel trapped, there's no trust after that. You're buying into it, but you're doing it grudgingly. And customers shouldn't feel that way.
The clients who've been with you for a long time should be on a better rate than new clients, not the other way around.
The oversell
A relatively new red flag, but one I've seen increasingly frequently in the last couple of years, is the oversell.
You may have seen these oversells on social media; those people who put up ads that say: "Get my course worth £15,000 for just £4,000!"
Who's decided it's worth £15,000? Where has that number been plucked from? Demonstrate to me where you've ever sold that course for £15,000, and I'll write you an apology.
Conclusion
This is a highly sceptical market, and in some ways that's a good thing; buyers need to be aware of these tricks and tactics so they can make an informed decision.
So next time you're being sold a service that seems too good to be true – whether it's marketing, a website, or anything else – dig a little deeper and you might save yourself a lot of bother.
Copyright 2025. Featured expert article by Joel Stone, founder of Codebreak.