Here’s a proven formula for success:

Market aggressively, but sell elegantly.

On the marketing side, this means you should communicate relentlessly, aggressively build lists of customers and prospective customers, simplify to the void, use emotional language, singularly focus on the life or work value your product or service provides, and be on offense as much time as possible rather than reacting to the competition. Let the competition react to you. You set the rules. Let everybody else play by them.

Conversely, on the sales side, this means modest product packaging. Relationship building. Deeply understanding your prospective customers’ needs and objectives, and then detailing how you’d help with them. By modestly in sales, I’m thinking of Apple’s simple, sleek product packaging. I’m thinking of answering every question until there aren’t any left.

Market aggressively, sell elegantly.