MARKETING STRATEGIST & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Rita Suzanne
Clear marketing. Ethical sales. Better follow-through.
I break down how deceptive and predatory marketing works, one tactic at a time, and show what the ethical version looks like. Then I talk about the sales and follow-up systems that make the ethical version easy to keep doing.
I've spent about 20 years in business and marketing, and I've always been the systems person.
Systems first, then marketing.
Eight years in corporate management
My job was streamlining operations: finding out why things break and building the process that keeps them from breaking again. Unglamorous work. It's also the difference between a system that holds and one that's just a nice document.
My own business since 2014
I've built websites, marketing systems, courses, and memberships for coaches and local business owners. Long enough to see what actually works, and which shortcuts get sold to people who deserve better.
What I believe about marketing
Ethical marketing is better marketing. Clear service descriptions, honest scope, and real relationships outlast pressure tactics.
Relationships do a lot of the work. Your reputation moves through people, and for many businesses the first people who can vouch for you are nearby.
Put the three together and you get what I care about now: clear marketing, ethical sales, and better follow-through, without the tactics that prey on people.
The deceptive marketing I call out
Most deceptive and predatory marketing doesn't look like a scam. It's built so the buyer can't check the claim before they pay.
I know the playbook because it's industry standard, and I spent years building marketing for coaches and local business owners. So I break it down one tactic at a time: how it works, why it misleads, and what ethical looks like instead.
Credibility theater
Logo strips, badges, and "as seen on" banners that look like proof and verify nothing.
Borrowed authority
Standing next to a bigger name and letting you assume the connection runs deeper than it does.
Self-issued certifications
A certificate from the same business that sold you the training, presented as if someone independent checked.
Readiness claims
A certification in a weekend. Speed sold as if it were qualification.
Manufactured urgency
Countdowns and scarcity that push people to decide before they've had room to think.
I focus on how each tactic works so you can spot it anywhere.
What I talk about
Four things I talk about, all tied to one question: how trust gets sold, the predatory way and the ethical way.
Deceptive and predatory marketing
How the tactics work, why they mislead, and what to do instead. Especially the ones aimed at people who are grieving, overwhelmed, or worried about their kids.
Ethical sales
Selling higher-priced, trust-based products without pressure: one clear ask, giving before you ask, and following up without being pushy.
Systems and follow-through
Trackers, reminders, and next steps that keep relationships and opportunities from getting lost.
The people on the other side
What I'm learning about grief, and about special education from the parent side of the table. A learner's view, not expert advice.
The short version
Eight years in corporate management, then my own business since 2014. I’m a single mom of teenagers, so everything I build has to work on a real schedule with real limits. That’s how I judge any advice, including what I give you.
I’m practical to a fault. I’d rather hand you one thing you’ll actually do than five you’ll read and forget.
What I'm doing now
Executive function training for schools
I handle outreach to special education leaders in schools for the National Board of Executive Function Certification.
Leading a grief certification board
I'm the Executive Director of the Independent National Board for Grief Certification, where I lead Program Administration.
Learn more at inbgc.org →These are separate organizations. My content and opinions here are my own.
Speaking and media
I speak to associations, conferences, podcasts, and professional groups. One clear idea per talk, and something the audience can use before the week is out.
How to spot deceptive marketing
The most common deceptive and predatory tactics, how each one misleads, and what ethical looks like instead.
Ethical sales without pressure
How to sell something that costs real money to careful buyers: one clear ask, giving before you ask, and respecting their decision.
Following up without being pushy
How to keep track of conversations so opportunities don't get lost, and how to follow up in a way people appreciate.
Building referral relationships on purpose
Why businesses grow through relationships, and how to keep them going, including making introductions for others first.
Featured in: Brit + Co, Outliers Edge Podcast, Process for Profit Podcast, Nice Girl CEO Podcast, and Investor Smarts. I was the featured fireside chat speaker at a Verizon Small Business Digital Ready workshop in Columbus. I also hosted more than 90 episodes of the Mom Owned and Operated podcast and led the CONNECTED Easton networking chapter in Columbus for more than a year.
Common questions
Who is Rita Suzanne?
Rita Suzanne is a marketing strategist and business development professional with about 20 years in business and marketing. She breaks down deceptive and predatory marketing and talks about ethical sales and follow-up systems. She is Executive Director of the Independent National Board for Grief Certification. She's based in Westerville, Ohio, in the Columbus area.
What does Rita Suzanne talk about?
Deceptive and predatory marketing, ethical sales, and the systems that keep follow-up and referral relationships from slipping. She also shares what she's learning about grief and special education, as a learner and a parent, not as an expert.
Does Rita Suzanne offer marketing services?
Not to new clients. Her focus now is her content and speaking.
Is Rita Suzanne a grief coach?
No. Rita is not a grief coach, therapist, or clinician. Her background is business, marketing, and operations.
Is Rita's content connected to the Independent National Board for Grief Certification?
No. Rita's content reflects her own views, and the board doesn't review or endorse it.
Does Rita Suzanne speak at events?
Yes. Rita speaks to associations, conferences, podcasts, and professional groups about deceptive marketing, ethical sales, following up, and referral relationships. Request a speaking engagement.
Where is Rita Suzanne based?
Westerville, Ohio, in the Columbus area. She speaks and works with people across the US.
Let's talk
Speaking requests, media questions, or a question about my work. The contact form is the fastest way to reach me.