From Icky to Impactful: Redefining Sales With Heart
Sales doesn't have to feel gross. Here's how to sell your services in a way that feels genuine and actually helps people.
Let's be honest — most people in technical fields hate selling. Developers, consultants, agency owners — we got into this because we love building things, not because we love pitching people. But if you run a business, sales is part of the deal.
Why Sales Feels "Icky"
The reason sales feels gross is because most of what we've seen modeled is manipulative. High-pressure tactics, artificial urgency, the "limited time offer" that's always available. That stuff works for some businesses, but it's not how I want to operate.
The Alternative: Selling Through Education
Here's what I've found works much better, especially for service businesses: educate first, sell second. When someone comes to me with a problem, my first instinct is to explain what's going on, what the options are, and what I would recommend. I'm not trying to close them in that first conversation.
That approach builds trust. And trust converts way better than pressure.
Practical Examples
When we do a discovery call with a potential client, I'll often tell them things they could do themselves. "Hey, you could set this up on Make.com for free. Here's how." Some people take that advice and do it themselves. Great — I helped someone. But most of them come back and say "this is more complex than I thought, can you just do it for us?"
That's a warm lead that trusts you. Way better than someone you pressured into a contract.
Fixed-Price Quotes Build Trust
One thing I changed early on was moving away from hourly billing to fixed-price quotes. Clients hate the uncertainty of "this will take 20-40 hours at $X per hour." They want to know exactly what it'll cost.
So we scope the project, give a fixed number, and stick to it. If it takes us longer, that's on us. This removes the anxiety from the client's side and lets them focus on the work, not the clock.
The Long Game
The businesses that last aren't the ones that close the most deals. They're the ones that build the most relationships. Every client we've ever worked with came through a referral or from seeing our content. Not from cold outreach. Not from ads.
Sell by being genuinely helpful, and the revenue follows.