Making Money Without Selling Your Soul: A Simple Sales Strategy for Service-Based Business Owners

Introduction

Let’s talk about the one thing that makes most small business owners cringe: sales.

We say we want more clients. We want consistent income. But then we sit down to “sell” and suddenly we sound like a version of ourselves we don’t even recognize — too pushy, too quiet, too unsure.

I used to hate sales. It made me feel like I was bothering people. But that’s because I misunderstood what selling really is. When I finally shifted my energy — from convincing to serving — that's when my heart change. I knew I was making money doing something I loved. Something that I was serving others with, and I didn't feel like a car salesman. I also stopped feeling bad when people couldn't afford to work with me because I knew my own value.

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Sales doesn’t have to feel gross. It can feel like service. Let’s rebuild this together.

Step 1: Shift the Energy First

People can feel your energy. If you show up with “please buy from me” energy, it feels desperate. But if you show up with “I know this can help you” energy, it feels grounded.

Action Step: Write down 3 reasons why your offer genuinely helps people. Keep that list near your desk. Let your belief in your product lead the way.

Step 2: Use the “Problem → Solution → Outcome” Framework

Instead of a script, use this heart-centered formula:

Problem: What is your client struggling with?

Solution: How does your service address that?

Outcome: What’s life like after they say yes?

Action Step: Practice saying your offer out loud using this model. It will become your most powerful tool.

Step 3: Permission-Based Selling

Ask before you offer. This builds trust.

Instead of “Here’s what I do,” say: “Would it be okay if I shared how I help people with this?”

It disarms resistance and feels human.

Action Step: Use this approach in your next discovery call. Watch the tone shift instantly.

Step 4: Follow-Up With Heart

Follow-up isn’t annoying. It’s clarity.

Most people don’t say no, they just get distracted. Show up again, not as a reminder, but as someone who cares. Support them virtually first. Find them on social media, use what they share as ideas for how you can connect with others who are just like them. If you know you can help someone, but you haven't created the way to get them to buy right now learn to shift. Learn to grow. Learn to be in a different space with your approach.

Action Step: Send a follow-up email 3 days after a call saying: “I’ve been thinking about you and the conversation we had. I’d love to answer any remaining questions when you’re ready.” If that sounds too salesy or cringy, just check in on them. Be the one who loves them from afar and checks in not to get them to want to do more with you but loving them where they are with the intent to level them up!

Step 5: Confidence Is Built, Not Bought

No one wakes up confident. You build it by showing up. You build it by claiming where you were always meant to be. I always remind myself that if I thought of it, I am called to it. You built this business. GO CLAIM IT!

Action Step: Write this on a sticky note: “I sell with integrity. My [insert offer] creates real transformation.” Say it out loud every morning for the next 5 days.

Final Thoughts

Sales gets easier when you stop trying to get a client and start showing up as someone who serves clients. You don’t have to become someone else to be successful. You just need a rhythm, some courage, and someone who believes in you when you forget to believe in yourself.

I know how hard this is. I’ve cried over price sheets, P & L and losses (many more times than I can count). I’ve second-guessed every offer, sales pitch and call. And I’ve also learned how to stand in the power of my work and sell from my heart. If you’re ready to rewrite the story around sales, mentorship can help you see yourself clearly. I’d be honored to walk with you.

Chat Soon,

Sarah Beth Herman

xoxo

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