Is your marketing just sales prevention?

I am a 'seasoned' (read, old) Marketer. Decades ago when you wanted to make a sale, you had to first educate potential buyers about your product/service - what it was, what it did and why you'd be mad not to buy it.  Sellers had power and a sellers marketing had significant influence, because these were the days before social media.

Today, potential buyers educate themselves. They talk about your brand, they discuss their experiences, they poll for answers to their questions, reading the blogs and reviews along the way. What the seller has to say is almost irrelevant to the sale.

For marketing time and money to be well spent, you now need to concentrate on helping the buyer make their choice - making it as easy as possible to interact.

Checklist

1. Can they find you when they search? (are you both using the same search terms?) 
2. Does your website answer their questions? (or is it a just a product features pitch?) 
3. Is there an easy checkout/download/try now process? (or is this 10 clicks & all your personal details required?) 
4. Do you know what your current reputation is and are you fixing/building on this with your marketing? 
5. Are you helping them to know that their money will be well spent i.e. do you address all they can expect post sale or is your marketing solely pre sales focused?

Without getting into the minds of your customers, your marketing is likely to be preventing rather than promoting sales.  Would you buy from you?