Twelve Amateur Mistakes

I'm reading an absolutely phenomenal book right now, "Why Johnny Can't Brand" by Bill Schley and Carl Nichols, Jr. I bring you, distilled thought from these two fine gentlemen, The Twelve Amateur Mistakes:

1. Spraying and praying... saying nothing by saying everything.
2. Failing to choose... a unique value proposition out of misplaced fear.
3. Creating a better mousetrap... and thinking you've created desire.
4. Entertaining, joking, singing, and dancing... without a selling idea.
5. Knowing all the answers... but never testing.
6. Breathing your own fumes... forgetting no one cares how great you are, they care how great you'll make them.
7. Playing inside when the sun's out... closing your eyes to the competition.
8. Forgetting that marketing is about sales... not marketing.
9. Being original instead of effective... it's not art appreciation, it's sales appreciation.
10. Chopping down your trees before they grow... changing your message too often.
11. Failing to simplify... being hard to understand, therefore, difficult to buy.
12. Forgetting the mantra, "It's trust, trust, trust" in the mind of the customer.