Five misconceptions about sales that keep you from signing your next client
Do you ever catch yourself hesitating before you post about your offer, worried you'll come across as pushy or annoying? ✨
In the last episode, I shared my own sales journey. In episode 16 of the Soul & Strategy podcast, I'm going deeper into the specific misconceptions I see over and over, some of which I've believed myself! If any of these sound familiar, I hope this gives you a genuine perspective shift.
Listen to the full episode above, or keep reading below. And if this topic lights you up, I'm also hosting a free Soulful Sales Challenge from the 12th to the 16th of October; more on that below too.
Misconception one: selling means convincing someone
This was one of my own biggest blocks. Selling felt like manipulation, like talking someone into something they weren't sure about.
Here's the reframe. You can't convince someone who genuinely isn't interested, and you don't actually want to. Working with someone who felt pressured into a five month coaching container helps no one, least of all you. What selling actually is, is opening a door and inviting someone to walk through it if they want to. You share what you can help with. They decide.
And this matters more than it might seem. When you never mention your offer, people can't say yes to something they don't know exists. Silence isn't neutral, it's a default no. Talking about your offer isn't convincing anyone of anything, it's simply giving them the option in the first place.
Misconception two: talking about your offer too much will annoy people
This one keeps so many people quiet, so let's look at it honestly. You know exactly how many times you've mentioned your workshop or your offer, because you've lived through writing every single post. But the person scrolling past has very likely seen only a small fraction of it, maybe none of it at all.
That said, repetition does matter, just not in the way you'd think. Posting the exact same graphic over and over can genuinely start to feel stale. The fix isn't posting less, it's talking about your offer from different angles. Share your own experience with it. Share the hard facts, the dates, the structure, the number of sessions. Share the transformation people walk away with, or the exact problem someone usually comes to you with before they start.
If the fear of annoying people still feels strong, it's worth asking what's actually underneath it. Are you worried about being rejected? About what a colleague, a friend, or family member might think if they saw you talking about your offer online? Once you name the real fear, the discomfort around posting often loosens on its own.
Misconception three: if someone wants to work with me, they'll reach out
There's a small amount of truth buried in here, but mostly this one keeps people passively waiting instead of actively inviting. Selling really is an invitation, and without one, most people simply don't come knocking, especially if you're still building your audience and your name isn't yet widely known.
Sometimes people genuinely don't know how to work with you, or they're nervous to reach out first, worried they'll be locked into something or that they're bothering you by asking. That's exactly why it's your responsibility to share how people can work with you, what your offer includes, who it's for, and who it isn't for, so they have what they need to decide.
A small nudge goes further than you'd expect too. Sending someone a message saying you thought of them, that this workshop or challenge feels made for them, is often the exact push someone needs. It's far easier to say yes to a genuine invitation than to take the first step entirely on your own.
Misconception four: a good sales conversation has to end in a sale
I touched on this in the last episode too, and it's worth repeating. Every conversation, every piece of content, every free call is a seed you're planting, and you don't always get to see it bloom right away. Someone might say yes days later. Occasionally, a full year later.
A no isn't proof that something is broken. You can see it two ways: Sometimes it's a genuine learning moment, worth asking what you might do differently, or whether this was even the right person for what you offer. And sometimes there's no clear lesson at all, and that's fine too, because business is a marathon, not a sprint. Even when the exact same person doesn't come back, the clarity you gain from that conversation often helps you refine your message enough to attract someone who's a better fit.
Misconception five: you need the perfect sales script
This might be the most freeing shift of all. Sales closers exist to close sales, that's their entire job. Yours, as a coach or practitioner, is fundamentally different. Your job is to support and serve people, and when you lead a call from that place, the sale tends to follow naturally rather than needing to be engineered.
If you're currently relying on a script, try running just one call without it. Let go of the rulebook, the perfect template, even the AI generated talking points, and just be present. Ask genuine questions. Listen for what's actually underneath what someone is telling you. People can feel the difference between a rehearsed pitch and real engagement, even if they couldn't quite name why.
Structure still has its place, it's good to know roughly how you want a call to open and flow. But no script will save a call if you don't fully believe in what you're offering. Confidence in your own value matters more than any perfect line ever could.
Key takeaways
Selling isn't convincing anyone; it's simply opening the door and letting people decide for themselves.
Most people have seen far less of your content than you assume, so talking about your offer more, from different angles, rarely feels repetitive to them.
Waiting for people to reach out on their own keeps you passive. A genuine invitation, even a small nudge, makes it far easier for someone to say yes.
A no in the moment isn't a final answer. Some yeses take days, weeks, or even a year to arrive.
Confidence in what you offer matters more than any sales script. Presence and genuine curiosity outperform a rehearsed pitch.
Ready to shift your own relationship with sales?
If any of these misconceptions felt familiar, I'd love for you to join my free Soulful Sales Challenge, running from the 12th to the 16th of October inside a private Telegram group. Each day includes one prompt to reframe your beliefs around selling and one aligned action to actually put it into practice, so you're moving forward, not just journaling about it. One lucky participant will also win a 60-minute Soulful Sales Coaching Session with me ✨
Join the free Soulful Sales Challenge
Listen to the full episode above for the complete conversation, and follow the Soul & Strategy podcast so you don't miss the next one. We've got one more episode on sales coming up! I'd love to know which misconception hit closest to home for you; come share it with me on Instagram @sabinelehnhardt.
With love,
Sabine 🤍
