This Isn’t a Sales Pitch. Or Is It?
Nobody likes being sold to. Including me. And I’ve spent years working in sales.
Most of us already know what we want. And when we don’t, being told we need something by a stranger on the internet usually isn’t what changes our mind.
What actually matters is understanding where something came from, who it’s for, and whether the person behind it understands the problem we’re trying to solve.
That’s where things start to get messy.
When it comes to selling our services or products, we’re usually told one of two things:
Tell everyone you know.
DM your friends. Post about it constantly. Make sure everyone hears about it.“Let your people come to you.”
Which sounds lovely… except no one knows who you are yet.
The first option feels gross, especially if you’ve never promoted yourself before.
The second feels impossible when you don’t know how to talk about what you offer in the first place.
So what do we do instead?
We follow bad advice.
We DM people we haven’t spoken to in years.
We spam our feeds with “BUY THIS” energy.
We post like social media is a billboard.
And it’s uncomfortable. Because social media isn’t a billboard.
I don’t buy from someone just because they tell me I need something.
First of all, I don’t know you.
Second of all, why should I trust that you understand my problem?
I might actually need what you’re offering. But you aggressively telling me that I do is not what makes me buy.
What does matter to me is:
Who you are
Why you created what you created
Your intention
Whether you actually understand the problem I’m dealing with
People don’t buy because they’re pressured.
They buy because they feel understood.
I’ve worked in direct sales in more ways than people realize.
I’ve sold houses.
I’ve sold products.
I’ve sold tickets as an event planner, where success wasn’t about pressure, but about helping someone see themselves in the experience.
I’ve worked in retail, standing on a sales floor, learning very quickly that people don’t want to be pushed, they want to be understood.
I’ve stood inside Costco, educating strangers on why an American Express card made sense for their life, their spending habits, and their priorities. (Yes, that was actually my job.)
I was also a sales specialist for a brand-new app, where my role was to cold call organizations and then present the product internally, often to rooms full of people who didn’t ask to be there.
Across all of these roles, the lesson was the same: Sales is not about convincing. It’s about connection.
What I learned over and over again is that relationships matter more than the pitch.
Most people need to see you anywhere from three to seven times before they buy.
That might look like multiple touch points, conversations, posts, or interactions.
That’s not manipulation. That’s trust being built.
And that trust comes from consistency, familiarity, and feeling like the person on the other side actually understands what you need.
People are skeptical about ads for a reason. They’re afraid to spend money and not see a return.
Most of the time, the return won’t be immediate. And it won’t always be obvious.
That’s where the backwards thinking comes in.
When you invest in ad space, whether it’s social media, a billboard, a magazine, radio, or TV, the goal isn’t instant ROI.
The goal is consistency. You are purchasing a space to be seen.
You want people to keep seeing you so that when they realize they need what you offer, your name comes to mind.
That’s how trust is built. That’s how people are remembered.
If you’re wondering why:
Your content isn’t landing
Your services aren’t being purchased
No one is asking questions
Your DMs are quiet
It might not be your offer. It might be authority.
People don’t buy from strangers. They buy from people who feel familiar.
That’s why I write.
That’s why I post consistently.
That’s why I show up even when it feels repetitive.
Not to convince people. But to establish myself.
So that when someone needs support in an area I work in, they think of me because they’ve seen me doing the work over and over again.
Sales doesn’t have to be hard. But the way we approach it often makes it harder than it needs to be.
Everyone is selling something. Don’t pretend you’re not.
Your job isn’t to shout louder than everyone else.
Your job is to:
Be visible
Be valuable
Build authority
So that when people want what you have, you’re the obvious choice.
The majority of my clients over the last four years came from one place: online.
They saw my content somewhere.
Often it wasn’t even about what I do.
Something they connected with.
Something that sparked a conversation.
That conversation turned into a relationship.
And that relationship turned into work.
That’s how it actually happens.
Most people are scared to put themselves out there.
Not because they don’t know how.
Not because they’re bad at it.
But because it’s uncomfortable.
Anything you’ve never done before is uncomfortable.
The first time I spoke in front of a crowd, I cried: I cried because I was terrified.
Public speaking ended up being something I loved, after I got through the hard part.
The first time I showed my face online, I was scared of being judged.
Scared of reactions. Scared of what people would say.
What happened? Nothing bad.
People were happy to see me.
And that made it easier to keep going.
Think about the first time you walked into a gym.
Uncomfortable.
Then easier.
Then maybe even enjoyable.
Do the thing.
It leads to results, not because it’s perfect, but because you started.
And if you do that, you’re already ahead of most people.
Just keep showing up, be yourself and believe that someone out there needs what you have.
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Michelle Gallant
Writer | Creator | Less Hustle, More Life
Cover Image Captured by: Amanda Rentiers Photography
