It seems like some people are just magically good at selling. They seem to present their products with ease and don’t come off as annoying or overly profit-motivated. It may appear that this is just a natural talent; some people have it and some people work hard to compete with these types of salesfolk who somehow don’t come off as sale-sy.

Sure, some people are naturally charming and personable but being a social butterfly doesn’t sell on its own. Ask any social media influencer with a large following: engagement doesn’t necessarily equate to more sales. And good salespeople aren’t necessarily winning popularity contests–some of them have tiny followings and small email lists. Numbers matter but we already know that. Some people have an edge despite not checking all the common boxes for successful selling. And they’re not born this way. Their “secret” is not so secret, often times they have simply reframed selling as storytelling and made their clients (their problems and solutions) the focus of the story they tell. 

If you are only thinking about profits when you speak about your products or services, you will be missing the authenticity, the excitement, and most importantly the narrative flare that your audience unconsciously craves to feel in order to care about them. You need to believe in the efficacy of your products or at least present them in a way that their promised transformation is believable. Results are great but there is no narrative when all you can show is the results. Think about the side-by-side images in predatory weight loss ads and how boring those are to witness. Instead ask yourself: Why are these results exciting and special? How can your potential customers use your products to get similar? What is the over-arching story here?

Speaking too broadly is also part of what can muddle your messaging and make selling harder. Don’t speak to the entire world in your ads and social media copy. Identify and speak to your ideal client. The truth is, your branding and products will not resonate with everyone who sees it. You also don’t need it to. You need your sales copy to speak specifically to your ideal clients as if you’re talking to them 1:1 so they can trust you and get on board with your offerings.