Quit Forcing Square Pegs into Round Holes

 

By:  Ivan Cavric

Let’s cut the cute metaphors and just say it: if you’re in business, stop trying to sell your stuff to people who don’t want it, don’t need it, and won’t use it.

This “square peg in a round hole” thing isn’t just a clever saying. It’s the reason your sales are a mess, your customers are frustrated, and your marketing budget is circling the drain. You’re spending all your time convincing the wrong people instead of finding the right ones. That’s not smart. That’s desperate.

The Real Problem

Too many businesses start with themselves. “Here’s what we sell — now let’s find somebody to buy it.” Sounds good in a meeting, but in the real world, it’s a disaster.

You’ve got companies pitching high-tech, complicated solutions to folks who just want something simple. Like trying to sell an AI-powered logistics platform to a mom-and-pop bakery that just needs a cash register that works. They’re never going to buy it — and if they do, they’ll hate you for talking them into it.

From the Customer’s Side

Put yourself in their shoes. If you’ve ever been talked into buying something you didn’t really understand, you know how it feels. Confusing. Frustrating. Like the seller didn’t care about you at all — just your wallet.

That’s how your prospects feel when you keep forcing your “solution” on them. They nod politely, maybe even buy, but they don’t value it. Then they don’t use it, and pretty soon they’re badmouthing you to anyone who will listen.

The Price You Pay for the Wrong Fit

Let’s be clear — forcing a sale costs you more than you think:

• High turnover – they cancel or quit fast.
• Low lifetime value – you spend more chasing them than you make from them.
• Bad reputation – unhappy customers talk, and they’re a lot louder than happy ones.

It’s a treadmill. You lose the wrong customers, replace them with more wrong customers, and then wonder why you’re exhausted and broke.

The Smarter Way

Here’s a wild idea: sell to people who actually need you.

How? Shut up and listen. Ask questions. Figure out their real problems. If you can solve them, great — do it. If you can’t, tell them. Walk away. It’s better to be honest and leave money on the table than to take it and regret it later.

Being the right fit for fewer people beats being the wrong fit for everyone.

Not Just About Business

This “square peg, round hole” nonsense shows up everywhere — in hiring, relationships, partnerships. If the fit’s wrong, you can’t force it. You can waste a lot of time trying, but it’s still wrong.

Here’s the Bottom Line

When it fits, it works. When it doesn’t, stop pounding the peg and find a hole that matches. Quit forcing. Start aligning. Sell less to the wrong people and more to the right ones. You’ll make more money, save more time, and avoid headaches.

And if that sounds too simple for you, good. Simple works.