The Soft-Sell Playbook: How Top Coaches Build Trust Before They Ask for the Sale
Hard-selling works—but only when your audience already trusts you. Top coaches and solo creators don’t just “post value” and then drop a buy link. They run a Soft‑Sell Dominant strategy: most of their promotional content is designed to overcome objections, demonstrate expertise, and build trust around the core offer. When the Hard‑Sell finally appears, it lands harder and converts better.
Why soft-sell first?
People don’t buy because you asked; they buy because you made it safe to say yes. Soft‑sell content reduces risk in the buyer’s mind by showing outcomes, addressing doubts, and letting prospects try on your worldview.
The golden ratio
- ~75% Soft‑Sells: trust-building content (no direct pitch)
- ~25% Hard‑Sells: direct offers and clear CTAs
This ratio lets you increase the total amount of promotional activity without burning out your audience.
Soft-sell examples you can ship this week
- A carousel: “3 Mindset Shifts to Overcome Pricing Objections.”
- A 60‑second Reel: a client win or mini‑case study.
- A short guide: teach one actionable slice of your paid framework.
What changes when you switch to soft-sell dominant
- Trust increases: prospects see proof and process, not just promises.
- Objections surface early: you address them before the pitch.
- Conversion lifts: hard offers feel natural, not jarring.
A simple weekly cadence
Use this five‑post loop to operationalize the ratio:
- Soft‑Sell: objection handling (e.g., “I don’t have time” → show a 10‑minute plan)
- Soft‑Sell: credibility (mini case study; before/after)
- Soft‑Sell: teach one chunk of your method (tiny win)
- Hard‑Sell: direct offer with a clear next step
- Soft‑Sell: beliefs and philosophy (why your approach works)
Repeat weekly. Track saves, replies, and profile visits—not just likes. Those are leading indicators that your soft‑sell is warming up demand for your next hard offer.
If you want help turning this into a plug‑and‑play content system for your niche, start by listing your top three objections and drafting one soft‑sell post for each. Then run the five‑post loop above for two weeks and measure the difference.