Edu-Selling: How to sell without being salesy

Podcast

Mar 23

There's a good chance you've been on the ‘sold to’ end of a bad sales process - the kind where the salesperson really, really wants you to buy the thing, and they start negotiating with you before you’ve even given them an objection. You may be conjuring up a memory of a car dealership, where the salesperson bats away every "no" and pulls in a fictional boss or finance manager who can "probably" get you a deal if you just say yes right now.

I've been there, except my salesperson was working for a coaching company, and I was super new to business.

The reason most people hate "selling" is because they've conflated it with pressure, or with their interests in mind rather than the buyer’s.

But selling shouldn’t feel like that, especially if you’re running a service-based business. We should, instead, be running businesses that we feel good about. And, our sales processes should feel like delightful experiences rather than high-pressure situations.

The best way I’ve found to make sales feel good is what I call edu-selling.

It’s the approach I've used to build a business where clients regularly thank me for never selling to them, right before they hand over thousands of dollars.

What Is Edu-Selling?

First of all, I made this word up. So my definition of edu-selling is that it means educating your potential clients so thoroughly about how you can solve their problems, that working with you seems like an obvious next move.

Rather than getting on a sales call and feeling like you’re convincing them that you’re a good person to work with, you’re simply answering their questions and giving people the information they need to decide whether you're the right solution.

In an ideal world, your copy will do an excellent job of educating so that your sales calls aren’t sales calls at all, but rather ‘fit’ or ‘scoping’ calls.

That's it. But the reason most businesses don't do it is that it requires letting go of control over the outcome and focusing entirely on the experience.

The $6,000 Business Lesson (aka BIG sales mistake)

Back in 2019, I got on a free call (ugh, I was so young and innocent!) expecting to learn about lead generation. What I got was a textbook high-pressure sales experience. By the time the call was over, I'd agreed to a $6,000 coaching program I had no business buying.

I had no audience. I didn't even fully understand what the program was going to teach me… they said something about consistent revenue and that they’d ‘teach me everything I needed to build a successful business’. They also pressured me with a discount and extra coaching if I said yes right then. They told me that my business wouldn’t make it if I didn’t have the right guidance. I said yes because I didn't feel like I could say no.

And yeah, you guessed it. The course was teaching me how to make a course. Spoiler alert: I sold one $100 course at 50% off to a friend. Not great ROI BECAUSE I SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN SOLD THAT COURSE. I wasn’t the ideal audience. I was just a full time employee trying to get a travel blog off the ground. UGH.

And to be clear: I knew how to sell. This was the year after I'd made six figures in commissions in the first six months of the year at my tech sales job.

I knew how to sell. I just forgot, in that moment, what good selling felt like. I thought it was a lesson, ya know?

That experience is the reason I've built my business the way I have, and I take these lessons into every business that I write for. I believe that the sales process should feel good for both people, because they’re a good fit for each other and because the outcomes can be delivered on.

What Good Selling Looks Like in Practice

My realtor (also my mom’s best friend) and I were talking about sales recently. She has sold millions of dollars of property and doesn't consider herself a salesperson.

When we talked about it, she said she doesn't push people toward bigger houses or faster decisions. She simply sees herself as the liaison, and connects people with the propert that’s right for them.

As we were chatting, I was like, “Ok so you’re definitely a salesperson, but you believe in edu-selling. Got it.”

Edu-selling builds a reputation that brings people back and gets them talking

I was wedding dress shopping recently, and had a similar experience of being edu-sold to.

Before my appointment, the shop emailed me a form asking about my budget, told me what their dresses typically cost, and called two days ahead to check in on where I was at emotionally. When I arrived, they had my drink preference ready and a clear plan for the appointment.

It was a delightful experience! They had pre-pulled dresses based on what I told them I liked as well as ones that would fit my body. I told them about my venue, and they were able to tell me which fabrics and designs would work best in that climate. They even sent me a link for a garment bag that they liked (no affiliate link, and they defo didn’t ask me to buy the super expensive ones in-store!).

I truly felt like they had my best interests in mind. And while I didn’t know if I’d buy a dress that day, I did (after going to 3 different stores and having one minor meltdown).

When I made the decision, the salesperson seemed genuinely happy for me, not just relieved to close a sale. It felt good for both of us because I had the right-fit dress, and they got to help me find it.

How to Apply Edu-Selling in Your Business

I’ve done this in a few ways in my business, and encourage you to steal it:

1. Rename your sales call.

Discovery calls carry baggage. Kickoff calls and scoping calls signal that the two of you are figuring out fit together, not that you're there to be pitched. By the time someone gets on my calendar, they're not deciding whether to hire a copywriter. They already know. They just want to confirm the timeline and budget work.

2. Use your CRM and scheduling tools to do pre-call education

Collect information in a form before you get on a call with someone. Ask about budget, timeline, goals. Give them context on what working with you typically looks like. Arriving informed shows you respect their time and that you’ve made the effort to understand their situation. Plus, it gives you the opportunity to showcase how you typically work and give them information on what to expect. This prevents repeat conversations on sales calls, and gives them the opportunity to ask deeper questions.

3. Put statistics above the fold on your sales page

A well-placed stat names a problem and signals authority at the same time. You could add a stat like, "98% of business owners never hit six figures" followed by "but that changes here". It tells a story in two lines, and shows that you’ve done your research.

4. Tell people what you see

I love to put educational statements like, "The biggest mistake I see coaches make is X" on sales pages. It will not only build curiosity, but make people feel smarter – which ultimately means that if you’re educating them, then you’re building authority!

5. Be transparent about your pricing

Posting general pricing on your website will get you fewer (but better!) inquiries because people will feel informed about what they can expect to pay. This is a great way to take the pressure off of a pricing conversation when you do get on a sales call!

I talk more about how to put pricing on your website on this post.

Why This Matters Beyond the Sale

When clients feel good about the decision to hire you, they show up differently. They're easier to work with. They trust your recommendations. And they tell people about you – because you’ve educated them on how you work and the outcomes you provide!

Word-of-mouth referrals come from clients who felt taken care of.

Edu-selling builds both a more efficient sales process, and a client experience that they’ll rave about.

The Bottom Line

Selling should feel great! When you educate your people on what it's like to work with you, what the process looks like, what other clients have experienced, and what it costs, buying from you starts feeling like the best logical step forward.

Helpful Resources:

Calls to Action Mentioned in This Episode:

Connect with me here:

Watch episodes with subtitles on my YouTube

See my services → sales pages, emails, websites, and more.
Get on my calendar → if you’d like me to write your sales copy for you!
Opt-In Copy Bot → Write high-converting opt-in pages in minutes