The moment you need a specific person to buy, the sales conversation changes.

You explain too much. You lower the price too quickly. You try to prove your worth. You ignore signs that the client is not a good fit.

We feel this immediately when somebody is doing it to us.

I want you to enter the conversation with a different posture:

“Let’s see if this is a fit.”

Of course you want the sale. You are running a business. We do not have to pretend we are above wanting money.

But wanting the sale is different from needing this person to rescue you.

You are also making a decision

The buyer is asking:

• Do I trust this person?
• Does she understand my problem?
• Is the potential value worth the investment?
• Do I want this kind of support?

You should also ask:

• Can I genuinely help?
• Are her expectations realistic?
• Does she understand what the work requires?
• Will I enjoy serving her?
• Does the price support the required delivery?
• Is she a good fit for the other clients in the program?

This is particularly important in intimate programs. One poorly matched person can change the experience for the entire group.

A sale is not successful simply because money changes hands.

It is successful when the client, offer, promise, and delivery belong together.

Ethical marketing is still marketing

Please communicate your value.

Name the problem. Create desire for the outcome. Explain why your method matters. Make the invitation.

But do not shame people into buying.

Do not imply that declining your offer means they are afraid, uncommitted, or choosing a smaller life.

Marketing should help a buyer make a good decision. It should not remove her ability to decide.

The willingness to walk away is part of your position as an expert.

Ask yourself: Where am I trying to convince people instead of discovering whether we fit?