How to sell without sounding salesy: my POV on ethical copywriting
As a business owner or marketer who wants to grow while staying true to your values, maybe you’ve had this thought:
“I want to sell. But I don’t want to sound salesy in my marketing.”
It’s a common (and valid) concern. No one wants to come off as pushy or insincere, yet so much marketing out there feels that way. But here’s the thing: avoiding that cringey, salesy vibe shouldn't mean avoiding sales altogether.
It’s entirely possible to write compelling, high-converting copy that aligns with your values. And you may be interested in what a lot of people are referring to these days as “ethical copywriting.”
But this term is tricky. Because “ethical” is a fairly subjective term. I can’t just tell you I write ethical copy as if that’s a universally understood and agreed-upon concept.
So instead, this article lays out my POV on what goes into ethical sales copy, and how I go about writing copy that upholds your integrity. I’ll also share the benefits of defining your values and weaving them into your marketing. For copy that converts, in alignment with your integrity.
What is ethical copywriting?
First, I’ll reiterate that beyond preventing harm and complying with laws and regulations, what you deem to be ethical copy is ultimately up to you. There is no governing body out there that can tell us what is or isn’t ethical; we as humans define our ethical code for ourselves.
So you need to decide how you want to market your business in alignment with your values. One way to do that is to make sure you’re working with a copywriter whose philosophy around sales copy feels good to you.
So while the term "ethical" can be subjective, I’ll let ya know what it means for me:
Respecting your audience’s autonomy and intelligence: You can be persuasive and still write copy that gives folks agency in their buying decisions. In fact, doing that instills trust. High-pressure tactics lead to impulse buys your customers may regret later. On the other hand, honesty and respect lead to enthusiastic purchases they’re more likely to feel good about over time.
True empathy: Consumers are more perceptive now than ever before. They can tell when a brand really understands them and cares about helping… and when they’re leveraging emotional triggers for the sake of making a sale. When we truly listen to your audience, we can speak to them from a place of genuinely caring about where they are now, and helping them reach their goals.
Transparency and consent: We can build a sales funnel that converts best-fit leads into buyers, without resorting to trickery or deceptive tactics. For example, signing up for a free resource on your website isn’t the same as consenting to receive your newsletter (cred to Tarzan Kay for teaching on consent in email marketing). Being transparent and getting consent in your marketing builds the trust your audience needs to feel confident buying from you.
I can summarize my philosophy around ethical sales copywriting with this:
I write sales copy that respects your audience introduces nervous system-level ease to the buying process. That ease creates trust, which leads to better relationships, happier buying decisions, and people who come back to buy again. Selling with respect is the smart way to connect with your people and grow your revenue.
Can you leverage sales psychology… without being sleazy in your marketing?
You have something great to offer the world. You want to get it in more people’s hands. You know conversion-focused marketing can help you do that. But maybe you wonder if incorporating that stuff will mean you’re manipulating people?
First, let’s pause to put this into perspective.
Think about your most cherished household appliance. Maybe it’s a really great washing machine or vacuum. Think about how it supports you in your daily life. Think how frustrating it’d be if it suddenly disappeared. Think about the way you found out about that item — I know I’m grateful for the ad that led me to Scrub Daddy sponges!
That’s what we’re doing here: using effective marketing techniques to unite the people who’d benefit most - with the offer you’re selling.
This is why understanding that best-fit customer, and using sales psychology to speak to their deep desires and lived experiences, is so important. We want the people who’ll cherish your offer to buy it.
What we don’t want? People buying on impulse only to regret their purchase, speak negatively about the experience, or ask for a refund. That’s more likely to happen when you trigger the stress response through false urgency, fake countdown timers, and other deceptive tactics for the sake of making a sale.
So, my answer is that when done well, research-backed, conversion-optimized copy helps you connect with more of those absolute best-fit customers. A win for folks who need your solution, and a win for your bottom line.
Benefits of finding (and owning) your approach to ethical marketing
The last thing we want is for the fear of coming across as salesy or manipulative to stop you from selling effectively. This fear can introduce an air of hesitation into marketing efforts, and consumers pick up on that.
Instead of confidently showcasing the value you offer, you might dilute your messaging, leading to ineffective campaigns that don’t engage your audience. That, or you won’t show up as consistently as you need to to hit your marketing goals. Also not the answer.
So rather than let marketing and sales give you an “icky” feeling, define what ethical marketing means to you and own it. Here are a few reasons it’s worth finding your footing with honest marketing that feels good to you:
1. Attracting the right clients:
When your messaging is clear and authentic, you naturally attract clients who resonate with what you offer. These clients are more likely to be the right fit for your services, leading to better working relationships, higher satisfaction, and more successful outcomes.
2. Enhanced credibility:
Transparent and honest marketing builds credibility. When potential clients see that your messaging aligns with your actions, their trust in your brand grows. This trust is crucial for converting leads into clients and helping those relationships thrive over time.
3. Increased conversion rates:
When you show up in a way that conveys your value proposition and respects your audience, the best-fit folks are more likely to take you up on your offers. They can tell you’re not just trying to push them into a sale, but presenting something helpful and giving them agency in their buying decision.
Copy that gives them the tools to decide for themselves instills more trust than copy that feels coercive. And when more people trust you, more of them will take that next step to work with you.
4. A more motivated team:
When your team rallies around an approach to marketing that feels good, they feel more empowered in the work they do. They can focus on their strengths, knowing your brand’s marketing strategy supports business growth, while aligning with the values they want to uphold in their work.
How to find a copywriter who brings your values into your marketing
Considering pro help with your copy? You may worry that they’ll use aggressive sales tactics that’d feel cringey to share with your audience. Or maybe this has already happened, and now you’re embarrassed to send folks to your website or sales page.
So, how do you make sure the copywriter you’re considering could really bring your values into your marketing (and still write copy that sells)? Here are a few tips for finding an aligned copywriter you can trust to deliver what you need:
Read through their website: Of course, copywriters take pride in the copy they use to market their business. Observe how they do that to get a feel for their approach to selling in their own business.
Look over portfolio pieces: Copywriters are usually skilled at adapting to different brand voices and values. Check out their work to see how they apply their skill to other businesses, and the types of clients they choose to take on.
Check testimonials: Pay attention to what people have to say about working with the copywriter. Did they match the client’s voice well? Did they bring their integrity and values into the copy?
Get on a call and chat it out: If a copywriter feels like a good fit, the next step will usually be a discovery call to get to know each other. You can always ask how they feel about writing ethical copy in alignment with your values. If they’re like me, they probably love geeking out over this stuff!
Start with a small test project: If you want to test the waters with a new copywriter, ask them to propose a test project to work on together. For example, a welcome email sequence for your business would be a great way to see how the copywriter brings your values into your copy, with minimal commitment.
These steps can help you feel more confident that your copywriter will create work that not only brings more best-fit customers, but feels good to share with your people.
DIY tips for sleaze-free selling
If you want to define what ethical marketing means for your business…
So it’s easier to put out effective sales copy you’re proud of…
Here are a few practical tips to elevate your marketing efforts while maintaining integrity and authenticity:
1. Establish clear values and messaging guidelines
You may understand your values, but does your team? Is there anywhere they can look to access that info? If not, not might be the perfect time to create an accessible brand guidelines document.
This can be a document or slide deck that communicates your core values and clear messaging guidelines that reflect them. It can include everything from wording you use to phrases you want to avoid, and examples of how your values show up in copy. You can share these guidelines with your team or even a new copywriter to support aligned deliverables.
2. Take time to listen to your customers
Who’s actually buying your products and services? Is it who you think it is? When was the last time you scheduled customer interviews to hear what their values are, or what they expect from your brand?
Now might be a great time to conduct a few interviews to make sure your marketing lines up with what your people want from you. Start with 3-5 interviews that answer questions about how they first encountered your brand and how they felt about it, any messaging that stood out to them, and even messaging that has turned them off before from competitors or other brands.
3. Do an integrity sweep before publishing
If you feel icky about selling, try doing an integrity sweep before hitting publish on your sales copy. Give your copy a final review through the lens of integrity, aka making sure the words on the page line up with the values you hold as a brand. Make any necessary changes to restore alignment with your values before putting the copy out into the world.
Pro tip: If you have brand messaging guidelines, they’ll make an integrity sweep even easier to carry out. Make sure anyone who creates or signs off on marketing assets has your guidelines handy for an easy sweep before launching new copy.
Want me to write sales copy you’re proud of?
With the tips above, you’ll be in a great spot to create marketing assets that sell without that “salesy” feeling. And you deserve to do that - because your offer helps improve people’s lives, so you should feel proud of the way you sell it too. If my take on ethical copywriting aligns with your vision for your marketing, I’d love to help.
The first step to explore working together is to fill out this form to tell me a little about your business. From there, I’ll connect with you and we can book a call if it feels like a good potential fit to team up on your project. I’m excited to help you win more sales through effective copywriting aligned with your values.
