MARKETING STRATEGIST & BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
Rita Suzanne
Clear marketing. Stronger relationships. Better follow-through.
You don't need exaggerated promises or pushy sales tactics to explain your value. I help you put practical referral and follow-up systems in place so relationships and opportunities don't get lost in the shuffle.
I've spent about 20 years in business and marketing, and I've always been the systems person. I also break down how deceptive marketing works, one tactic at a time, so you can spot it and never use it on anyone else.
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.
Running my own marketing business since 2014
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, stronger relationships, 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, so you can spot it before you pay for it and never use it on anyone else.
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.
Business and marketing, the ethical way
You can explain what you do, build referrals, follow up, and get found using the ethical version of every tactic above. That's what I teach business owners, coaches, and private practices.
Describing your services
What you do, what you don't promise, and how to stay inside your own training.
Referral relationships
Finding referral partners, staying in touch, making introductions, and tracking where your clients actually come from.
Following up on inquiries
Keeping track of who asked, what you promised, and when you said you'd check back.
Getting found on Google and in AI answers
Local search, Google Business Profile, and how to show up when people ask tools like ChatGPT for a recommendation.
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.
Work with me
Two one-time setups, $750 each. One working session, no monthly fees, and no sales call.
Referral System Setup
I build you a referral tracker that reminds you to follow up and matches people in your network you can introduce to each other.
Learn about Referral System Setup →Inquiry Follow-Up Setup
I build you a tracker for the inquiries and proposals you already have, with a daily email of who's due for follow-up.
Learn about Inquiry Follow-Up Setup →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.
Building referral relationships on purpose
Why businesses and practices grow through relationships, and how to keep them going, including making introductions for others first.
Following up without being pushy
How to keep track of inquiries and conversations so opportunities don't get lost, and how to follow up in a way that respects the other person's decision.
Showing up in Google and AI answers
How people now find a business or practice through Google and tools like ChatGPT, and what you can do so they describe your work accurately.
Available for interviews on deceptive and predatory marketing, ethical marketing, and referral and follow-up systems for business owners, coaches, and private practices.
Common questions
Who is Rita Suzanne?
Rita Suzanne is a marketing strategist and business development partner focused on ethical, relationship-based growth, with about 20 years in business and marketing. She helps business owners, coaches, and private practices communicate clearly, organize referral relationships, and create consistent follow-up systems. She also serves as Executive Director of the Independent National Board for Grief Certification. She's based in Westerville, Ohio, in the Columbus area.
What does Rita Suzanne teach?
Rita teaches business owners, coaches, and private practices how to describe their services, build referral relationships, follow up on inquiries, and show up in Google and AI answers, all without manipulative marketing.
Does Rita Suzanne offer services?
Yes, two one-time setups at $750 each, with no sales call. Referral System Setup builds a referral tracker that reminds you to follow up and matches people in your network you can introduce to each other. Inquiry Follow-Up Setup builds a tracker for the inquiries and proposals you already have, with a daily email of who's due for follow-up.
Are Rita Suzanne's teaching and services connected to the Independent National Board for Grief Certification?
No. Rita's business and marketing education and services are a separate business. The board doesn't require, recommend, or endorse them, they don't count toward any credential, and they don't teach the board's standard.
Does Rita Suzanne speak at events?
Yes. Rita speaks to associations, conferences, podcasts, and professional groups about spotting deceptive marketing, building referral relationships, following up without being pushy, and showing up in Google and AI answers. Request a speaking engagement.
Where is Rita Suzanne based?
Rita is based in Westerville, Ohio, in the Columbus area, and works with clients 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.