It is common sense that every business thrives through marketing. However, did you know that it could ruin your business if not carefully handled? Here are five ways that can ruin your sales if you base your marketing decisions on them.Think of when to carry out a promotion to create public awareness of your product or service. Determine when to distribute free products, announce price increases and carry out corporate social responsibility. All these are good strategies but they may end up confusing the consumers about your main message. Consumers want to specifically know what you want to tell them through that promotion.Secondly, most businesses think that by providing their clients with many options to choose from can increase their sales. This instead reduces your sales in the long run as consumers are confused on what choice to take. If they encounter a problem with one of your choices; they will obviously shun your service or product.In addition, avoid switching from one advertisement to the other as a way of creating a difference and providing the public with something new to increase your sales. This looks like a better idea but it is not.What confuses most businesses is telling apart advertisements aimed at bringing in new customers and maintaining current customers. You don’t need to keep changing your ad but rather you aim to attract and retain your clientele.  It would be imperative if the former takes 80 per cent of your advertising budget and the latter 20 percent. Don’t abandon an ad that translates to miracles in your sales.Don’t imagine that your product or service is so successful that you do not to market it. Failure to always inform and relentlessly create confidence about the product among consumers would end up affecting sales. I have seen businesses lower prices to attract more clientele believing that cutting down on prices would attract more clientele to a product or service. However, consumers would always for quality.Failure to respond to clients’ queries and complaints or doing so unprofessionally demonstrates to them you lack of care, a situation that may affect sales. Remember that the power of one consumer when you make one wrong move in your marketing campaign.Hence, try to always think ahead of your clients. In drafting your marketing strategy,  address all your clientele’s concerns about a product or service and understand why you particularly need an promotion or advert and what are you trying to communicate. Ensure you use persuasive communication.