Don’t Sacrifice Your Best Assets: Lessons from Business and Monopoly

Early in my career, I worked for a successful business owner in Dallas, TX, who ran a direct mail print shop. During one of our conversations about new initiatives, he casually remarked, “You’ve got to spend money to make money.” At the time, my ultimate goal was to someday run my own successful business, and I arrogantly dismissed his advice. Why would I spend money on things I could handle myself? Saving every dollar seemed like the smart move, especially when starting from scratch.

Fast forward a few years—I did launch my own business, and I quickly realized how misguided my earlier thinking was. Doing everything myself didn’t save me as much as I’d hoped. Sure, I cut some costs, but I wasted an enormous amount of time. And time, as it turns out, is far more valuable than money. I didn’t just lose dollars; I lost sleep, strained relationships, and sacrificed my mental health. Reflecting on that business owner’s words now, I can see the wisdom in them: “You’ve got to spend money to make money.”

Lessons from Monopoly: What This Game Teaches About Business

This lesson hit home again during a recent game of Monopoly. For those who play, you’ve seen how the game reveals a lot about strategy and decision-making. It shows you how people handle money—both play money and, quite often, real money in their lives. Do they spend recklessly? Make decisions based on short-term thinking? Or do they plan with a long-term strategy in mind?

A few nights ago, I was playing with a friend who had managed to control a valuable set of properties. They were in a strong position, collecting rent every time I landed on their spaces. But then they landed on my Boardwalk, which meant they owed me a significant amount. Rather than selling off their less valuable properties, they immediately considered mortgaging their prime assets. I couldn’t believe it! I had to stop and ask, “Why would you cut off your best money-making asset?”

Don’t Undermine Your Best Assets: Marketing vs. Sales

This moment made me think about what we see in business all the time—when companies face financial strain, the marketing budget is often the first to go. It’s as if marketing is still viewed as an expense, not as a vital revenue-generating asset. In reality, when marketing is executed properly, it’s just as valuable as your sales efforts, if not more. Cutting the marketing budget is like mortgaging your best properties in Monopoly—you’re sacrificing your greatest potential for income.

Some might argue that hiring strong salespeople is enough to drive growth. But ask any recruiter how easy that is in today’s market. The truth is, without a robust marketing strategy in place, your business becomes overly dependent on sales to maintain its financial health. Even when sales performance dips, effective marketing can keep the company growing.

Why Businesses Struggle with Marketing

I once posed this question to a business leader: “If you had a vending machine that gave you four dollars for every dollar you put in, would you ever stop feeding it money?” They quickly answered, “Of course not.” So I followed up, “Then why cut your marketing?”

The problem is that many businesses don’t treat marketing like a reliable investment because they lack a systematic approach to ensure consistent returns. Without clear data and repeatable processes, marketing can feel like a gamble rather than a calculated risk. And that’s when companies start treating it as a discretionary expense rather than a key driver of revenue.

Why Sales-Heavy Teams Shouldn’t Overlook Marketing

If you’re part of a sales-driven B2B team, consider this: marketing isn’t just about awareness or flashy campaigns. It’s about building a predictable revenue engine. A strong marketing strategy does more than create visibility—it attracts and nurtures leads, delivering them to sales when they’re primed to convert. Unfortunately, many sales-focused organizations still see marketing as a “nice to have,” limited to trade shows or promotional materials, rather than a core function that supports growth.

The Core Issue: Lack of Clear Strategy and Reporting

What often leads companies to cut marketing is a lack of clear, predictable strategy and measurement. Without robust reporting, it’s difficult to know what’s working and what isn’t. Many organizations end up setting broad goals, throwing resources at them, and hoping for the best. Even when they hit their targets, they may settle for “good enough” instead of refining their approach for maximum impact.

Imagine if your marketing strategy was as calculated as a well-planned Monopoly game, where every move is informed by data and aimed at stacking the odds in your favor. With the right system, it’s not about whether marketing will pay off; it’s about when.

Moving Forward: Smart Spending for Predictable Returns

So, while the old saying, “You’ve got to spend money to make money,” holds true, it’s about spending wisely. The goal is to create a feedback loop that constantly evaluates performance, identifies what’s working, and refines the approach accordingly. This kind of systematic, data-driven marketing is what drives sustainable growth.

If this resonates with you, start thinking about how you can build a more optimized approach to marketing—one that treats it not as an expense but as a strategic investment in your business’s future.

If you're ready to take a strategic approach to marketing and grow your business, reach out to us today. Let's start a conversation about how we can help you achieve predictable returns!

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About the Author

Darion Daniels is a Strategist at Tegrita, where he helps B2B, D2C, and B2C companies accelerate their marketing efforts and close more deals. With a focus on optimizing middle-of-funnel strategies, Darion transforms how businesses generate and nurture demand, turning interest into action. He combines strategic insight with hands-on implementation to help clients streamline their marketing processes and achieve sustainable growth.

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