Content marketing draws customers’ attention and makes your brand familiar and trusted. It helps make your business “known for” something other than what you sell. And it gives your customers something to talk about to other potential customers. Small businesses especially can benefit from content marketing because it doesn’t cost a lot of money to see results. Content marketing has so many tangible benefits that it makes you wonder why more small businesses don’t pursue it. Here are the most common reasons I’ve found while working with small businesses:

Marketing isn’t part of the budget:Too many small businesses don’t include marketing as a formal part of their budget…if they have a formal budget at all! Big businesses are often easier to work with because they’ve already dedicated funds to marketing. With bigger businesses, you can focus on selling the best way to market (content marketing). But with small businesses, you often have to spend time explaining why marketing is necessary in the first place.

Owners think they can do everything themselves: Entrepreneurs are used to doing a lot of things themselves. Some are used to dictating what they want done rather than listening to ideas. Their marketing plans are often flawed and unsophisticated. And they want it done inexpensively and immediately.

Innovation is risky: Entrepreneurs are mythologized as risk-takers, but many actually are afraid to take risks. Content marketing as a concept is something out of the ordinary to most small business owners, and until they see their competitors doing it, they’re afraid of the time and money they might risk losing. It takes an extra effort on a salesperson’s part to convince them of the upside.

As a salesperson who has worked with the smallest of small businesses, I’ve learned the hard way that spending too much time convincing a client that content marketing works is a waste of my time. I love helping small businesses grow with content marketing, but never again will I spend more than 10 minutes trying to convince a small business owner that marketing itself is part of a successful business.

There are lots of prospects out there, but not many of them are good. Here are some things I do to separate the good from the bad:

Ask how much they spend on marketing every year: If they can’t answer this question, it’s a red flag. Even if it’s ridiculously low, it’s important to know that they actually spend money on marketing.

Ask them to meet at your office: If you feel uncertain about the direction of the conversation, don’t waste your time visiting their offices. Explain that you would be happy to meet at your office for a preliminary consultation anytime they’re available. Small businesses owners leave their office to visit their lawyers and accountants. It’s important they see you as an expert, not just another salesperson.

Get a letter of intent: If you’re contact sounds interested in hiring you but keeps putting off the actual job, ask for a letter of intent—an email will work—that demonstrates some commitment on their part. Explain that the letter of intent is to lock down the rate you initially quoted. This will either move things along or at least drum up hidden objections. If you can’t get the commitment or the reasons for hesitating out in the open, then raise your rates immediately or walk away.