People Don’t Hate Marketing. They Hate Being Manipulated.
Let’s be honest: a lot of people have a gut-level resistance to marketing. They associate it with pop-ups, pushy sales reps, countdown timers, and being guilted into clicking “Buy Now.” That’s not marketing. That’s manipulation.
And your audience can tell the difference.
You’re not just trying to sell. You’re trying to serve. You’re a values-based business, a nonprofit, a founder with heart. You want your work to matter, but the moment your message starts sounding like every other high-pressure sales funnel out there, your audience checks out.
So what’s the alternative? Marketing that respects people’s agency.
Try this instead:
Swap pressure for permission. Instead of “Act fast before it’s gone!”, try “If this feels aligned, we’d love to have you.”
Center the transformation, not the urgency. “This service helps you finally ____” is more potent than “Only three spots left.”
Own your integrity. Talk about what you stand for, not just what you’re selling.
A mini transformation: A client we worked with used to open every newsletter with “Don’t miss this!”—and their open rates were plummeting. We shifted to intros like “If this has been on your heart…” and “When you’re ready, we’re here.” Not only did their click-throughs rise, but people started replying. Trust went up. Conversions felt mutual, not manipulated.
Key Takeaways:
Ethical marketing centers the human, not the hustle.
Pressure leads to resistance; permission creates space for decision.
Your best sales tool is transparency.
Want help rewriting your copy or planning a value-forward campaign? Reserve a Brand Strategy session and let’s build messaging that moves with integrity.
