In a nutshell: task optimization. It’s why if you have a business idea you should be building it as simply as you possibly can.

The best products are “easy” to market because they only add value to the client and never “take” anything from them. An example is a service that is free to use and that solves the user’s pain points, and, you’ve monetized it in a way that only shares in the user’s payoff (e.g., you keep a percent of their revenue boost).

These products are as close to ones that “sell themselves”, in which case you’re merely orchestrating the delivery or sale. Your only “pitch” is to put your client’s imagination in touch with the idea, and hand the product to them when the dots have connected so to speak.

I realize this is a bit of a cop out answer since some products require a “hard sale”, or, you’re unable to forgo a fee for its use or purchase. However, if you’re early enough, these “marketing” questions should absolutely factor into whether you think you have a good idea worth pursuing or not.

Bottom line harsh truth: If your product is great but too difficult to sell, then it wasn’t as great as you thought it was.

Redeeming point: Even with hard sells, you can make it work as long as the cost of marketing is less than the energy you’re spending selling people on the idea.