Joan sat staring at her laptop screen, her cursor blinking in the empty Facebook post box. Again.
She’d been running her graphic design business for three years now, and she was good at what she did. Her clients (affiliate) loved her work. They referred their friends. But actually selling her services on social media? That made her stomach turn.
“Buy my package!” felt pushy. “Limited time offer!” felt manipulative. And “DM me for pricing!” just felt… icky.
She wanted to help people. She loved solving design problems. But the moment she tried to talk about her services online, she felt like she was transforming into some aggressive car salesman version of herself that she didn’t even recognize.
Sound familiar?
Here’s what I’ve learned after 20+ years of running my own business: You don’t have to “sell” to sell. You just must invite, share, and guide.
The secret isn’t in being pushy—it’s in being helpful and making it easy for people to say yes when they’re ready. It’s also important to show your expertise.
25 Phrases That Sell Without Selling
These aren’t phrases to copy word-for-word (but you certainly can). They’re frameworks you can adapt to your own voice and business. Notice how each one focuses on the client’s needs, not your need to make a sale.
Instead of announcing what you offer:
“I’ve been working with several business owners who struggle with [specific problem]—if that’s you too, I can help.”
“Here’s what I’m noticing a lot of my clients (affiliate) dealing with right now…”
“This week I helped a client solve [problem]—thought I’d share in case you’re dealing with something similar.”
Instead of pushing a sale:
“If you’ve been thinking about [solution], now’s a good time because [genuine reason].”
“I have space for two new clients (affiliate) this month—reach out if you’d like to talk about working together.”
“I’m opening up a few spots for [service] in February. Let me know if you want one.”
Instead of “buy now”:
“Want to chat about how this might work for your business? Just send me a message.”
“If this sounds like what you need, let’s have a conversation—no pressure.”
“Curious whether this would be a good fit? I’m happy to answer questions.”
Instead of listing features:
“Here’s what changes when we work together…”
“My clients tell me the biggest difference they notice is…”
“What you get isn’t just [service]—it’s [actual outcome they care about].”
Instead of “limited time only”:
“I’m planning my schedule for next quarter—if you’ve been considering this, let’s talk before I’m fully booked.”
“Fair warning: I typically book out about six weeks in advance, so if you need help soon, reach out sooner rather than later.”
“I keep my client roster intentionally small so I can give everyone attention—just so you know if you’re thinking about working together.”
Instead of bragging about yourself:
“I love helping [type of client] finally solve [specific frustration].”
“There’s nothing better than seeing a client go from [before state] to [after state].”
“This is the part of my job I genuinely love: [specific transformation you create].”
Instead of discounting desperately:
“I’m testing out a new [service/package] and offering it at an introductory rate—let me know if you want details.”
“I’m looking for two people who want to [specific result] to work with this month—if that’s you, message me.”
Instead of being vague:
“Here’s exactly what we’d do together: [simple 3-step process].”
“A typical project with me looks like this [describe the project].”
“When you work with me, here’s what happens first [describe your process].”
Instead of asking “who wants this?”:
“This is perfect for you if [specific situation], [specific struggle], or [specific goal].”
“You might not be ready for this yet if [situation], but you’re definitely ready if [different situation].”
The Pattern You’re Probably Noticing
None of these phrases are about you needing to make a sale.
They’re all about meeting your potential client where they are—acknowledging their problem, offering a solution, and making it easy (and pressure-free) for them to take the next step when they’re ready.
You’re not selling. You’re inviting. You’re sharing. You’re guiding.
And honestly? That approach works better anyway. Because people don’t want to be sold to—they want to be helped.
The business owners who do this well aren’t the pushiest ones—they’re the ones who make it feel easy and natural to say yes. You can be one of them.
Your Turn
Pick two or three of these phrases that feel natural to you and try them this week. Adapt them to your voice. Make them specific to what you actually do.
You might be surprised at how much easier it feels to talk about your business when you’re focused on serving instead of selling.
And if you need help figuring out how to make this work for your specific business and audience? That’s exactly the kind of thing I help small business owners with. Just send me a message and let’s talk.
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