Hear More 'Yes' In Your Marketing & Outreach
Start Thinking Differently About Why People Say No
Swag, shiny websites and paid ads aren't the problem. Incomplete engagement systems are. Most organizations keep hearing "no" regardless of how many tactics they try because they're not addressing what's actually blocking the "yes."
Ready to get started? Complete a 3-minute pre-qualification form. If there's a fit, we'll schedule your paid triage to diagnose what's broken.
Pre-qualification takes 3 minutes.
If it’s a fit, we’ll invite you to a paid Marketing Triage
One Immediate Fix We Often Apply
We ask different questions.
For example, invite someone to reflect with, "Consider what drives you crazy about the way others are doing X?"
This single prompt deepens the conversation immediately and reveals what matters.
This shift from asking about people to inviting them into reflection often changes the entire dynamic.
35 years 🏆 7 national marketing awards 🌲 65,000-acres protected
Proven with nonprofits, municipalities and SMEs
Merch as a Diagnostic Tool
We love to pick on swag because how you use it is a fast, honest diagnostic of your marketing, communications and incentive systems.
If you don't use merch, your website copy, customer‑service scripts or staff training reveal the same signals.
Everything in your system tells the story, but only if you're asking the right question about what it means.
What's it costing you?
You Keep Hearing "No" Because You're Asking the Wrong Questions — and Tactics Won't Fix It
- Money spent on swag with no measurable ROI
- Trade shows that produce leads but few sales
- Campaigns that attract attention but not action
- Recruitment budgets that don’t fill roles
- Events and programs that spark interest but not lasting impact
The real cost: compounding operational losses, wasted materials, lost growth, diminished impact, and competitors getting the work you know you could do better.
Why? Because you're not asking the right question about what your audience actually needs.
Why Tactics Fail?
Tactical fixes such as better messaging, new tools, or a CRM can help, but they rarely stop the leak. If you don’t understand why people are saying no in the first place, you’ll keep applying the wrong fixes.
The real problem is that your perception of what’s working is often wrong. A “successful” event might look busy but produce no contracts. A “great” campaign might drive traffic but not engagement.
When you’re asking the wrong questions and measuring the wrong outcomes, you're solving the wrong problem, and no new tactic will get you where you need to go.
Marketing Triage: Plant, Nuture, Harvest
PLANT — We begin by planting seeds with different questions. Most organizations are asking the wrong question (or no question at all). We identify what you should actually be asking your audience based on your specific goals and the people you're trying to reach.
NURTURE — Identify where your system treats people as targets instead of heroes. Identify which touchpoints need to embed humanity so your audience feels valued, not targeted.
HARVEST — Prioritize which touchpoints to redesign first, based on where people get stuck on their journey from "no" to "yes." You'll walk away with quick wins you can implement immediately.
From "Throw Away" to "Three Senior Hires
BEFORE THE TRIAGE:
CEO: "I had seen us for years give away marketing materials for seemingly little real return. It was frustrating to see resources being literally thrown away. We just gave it away because everyone else gave it away."
THE TRIAGE (Diagnosis):
What I diagnosed: The company was asking the wrong question. They were measuring the wrong outcomes. Multiple silent "no's" were happening—but they believed the investment was working because people were taking the materials.
CEO: "He was driving our marketing staff crazy. We were just trying to buy stuff, and he was asking us why we were buying it and what outcomes we were expecting. Outcomes? What did he mean?"
AFTER COACHING/CONSULTING:
CEO: "I came to realize that, unwittingly, I had found an answer to my frustration. David taught us that every giveaway was actually an opportunity to get something back, and we had better figure out what we wanted."
The shift: From treating people as targets to treating them as heroes.
CEO: "We were headed to the UK to recruit talented staff, with our competition also going. David's solution? A focused marketing effort. It was expensive!! But it left the potential employees with a massively great impression about who they were talking to—a company that was serious about moving them across an ocean.
THE RESULTS:
CEO: "We hired three senior staff on that trip. Our goal was one."
Measurable business results within one quarter. Leads converted to contracts. The company understood precisely what the investment was generating.
THE META-INSIGHT:
CEO: "Your costs will actually go up. But you will find that each giveaway leads to sales leads. Or potential recruits. Or something you had not planned. But it will be good."
Paul Ruffell
CEO, EBA Engineering Consultants Ltd.
Systems for Every Channel
Whether you use events, direct outreach, digital campaigns, or recruitment, every touchpoint either answers the right question or doesn't. We examine websites, ads, outreach, events, recruitment and customer journeys to find where your system is asking the wrong question (or no question at all).
Sustainability + Budget Impact
Financial: Shift spend from one-off tactics to systems that deliver repeatable ROI
Strategic: Treat prospects and partners as people with real needs, not targets. Asking different questions is the first step, and often the difference between a wasted investment and a meaningful relationship.
Operational: Fewer wasted resources, clearer ROI, more predictable outcomes.
What Happens Next
The Triage (Custom Investment):
- Clarify the right question for your audience and goals
- Reveal where humanity is missing in your current system
- Map the path from "no" to "yes."
- Identify quick wins you can implement immediately
- Clear roadmap for deeper work (if you want it)
After Triage: Coaching or Consulting (Custom Pricing):
Once we clarify the right question, we help you embed humanity into every touchpoint. This is where the fundamental transformation happens—where your audience moves from "no" to "yes" because they feel like heroes, not targets. Most clients start with triage to clarify the question, then decide if coaching or consulting is the next step.
Pricing & Commitment
The cost of your diagnostic depends on the scope. A focused single-channel analysis might start at $500. A cross-channel organizational diagnosis will be scoped based on what's at stake. We'll confirm scope and investment after an initial conversation.
Takes 3 minutes.** We'll reply within 48 hours. If it looks like a fit, we'll send a scheduling link for the paid triage.
FAQ
Q: Is the pre-qualification free?
A: Yes. The pre-qual form is free. The Marketing Triage is a paid diagnostic to guarantee depth and priority.
Q: How long does the triage take?
A: A single-channel session should take about 60–90 minutes; findings will be sent within seven business days.
Q: Who should attend the triage?
A: A decision-maker and one operational lead who manages marketing, outreach, events or programs. Bring someone who understands both strategy and execution.
Q: What do you mean by "the right question"?
A: Most organizations ask tactical questions ("How do we get more leads?") when they should be asking human questions ("What does our audience actually need from us?"). We help you identify the question that, when answered, changes everything.
Q: What's the difference between triage and coaching/consulting?
A: Triage clarifies the right question and reveals where humanity is missing ($500+, 60–90 min). Coaching and consulting help you embed humanity into every touchpoint and measure the path to yes (custom pricing, ongoing). Most clients start with triage to clarify the question.
Ready to clarify the right question for your audience?
Trusted by the Edmonton Folk Music Festival for 25+ years
DoBetter Marketing
(a division of Avatar Brand Management Inc.)
Do Better Marketing is a purpose-driven marketing agency specializing in movements that protect people, communities and nature while delivering measurable business results. We're the creators of the Symbiotic Marketing methodology, GreenShows™ Virtual & Hybrid Events, GreenMeets™ Global Networking for Sustainability Heroes, and GreenChats™ — the AI Marketing Mentor trained with planetary limits.
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7 National Marketing Awards
The Cost of Broken Engagement Systems
Discover what's really wasting your time, money & impact and why traditional marketing can't fix it.
Swag, flashy sites and campaigns do not fail because of channels; they fail because engagement systems are incomplete. Consultants can patch funnels, but the human engagement and incentive design that drive action are usually missing. Start with a 3-minute prequalification to diagnose what is truly broken.