The 10 Best Sales Tactics for Building Trust & Revenue
Most advice on “sales tactics” feels like it was written for sociopaths.
It’s a world of aggressive acronyms, psychological “tricks,” and relentless pressure.
It tells you to “Always Be Closing,” even when the customer isn't ready. This advice isn't just unhelpful for most entrepreneurs and small business owners—it feels fundamentally wrong.
Here’s the truth they don’t tell you: you don’t need to become a high-pressure closer.
A great brand is your best salesperson. It works around the clock, building trust and communicating value before you ever have a conversation.
The tactics that follow aren't about manipulation. They are frameworks for clearly communicating the value that your brand already represents.
These are 10 practical, honest tactics you can use today.
- Prioritise brand: a strong, professional brand builds trust, justifies price, and pre-sells before conversations begin.
- Diagnose, don’t pitch: adopt the Expert Reframe—ask questions, position yourself as an authority solving their problem.
- Give value and build proof: use value-first content, testimonials and case studies to reduce risk and earn credibility.
- Focus outcomes and follow-up: sell results, frame price as investment, and persist with value-driven, gentle follow-ups.
First, A Reality Check: Your Brand Does the Heavy Lifting
Before we get into specifics, understand this: no sales tactic worldwide can save a broken product or a confusing brand. You can't stick a Ferrari engine in a Lada and expect to win a race.
A strong brand builds trust at first sight. It makes your price seem justified. It answers questions and overcomes objections before they are even spoken. When a potential customer encounters your business, a professional brand immediately signals that you are credible and that this conversation will be worth their time.
A clear Brand Identity answers questions before they're even asked. Without it, every conversation is an uphill battle.
The 10 Best Sales Tactics for People Who Hate ‘Selling'
1. The Expert Reframe (Stop Pitching, Start Diagnosing)
The Concept: Immediately shift the dynamic of the conversation. You are not a vendor pitching a product but an expert diagnosing a problem. A doctor doesn't walk into an exam room and pitch prescriptions. They ask, “Where does it hurt?”
Why It Works: This frame instantly positions you as an authority, not a supplicant. It changes the customer's mindset from “I'm being sold to” to “Receiving expert advice.” This builds trust and respect from the very first sentence.
Real-World Example: A marketing consultant begins a discovery call. Instead of launching into a presentation about their services, they simply ask, “So we have an hour today. What is the single biggest challenge you're facing with customer acquisition right now?”
The Branding Link: A polished, professional brand (your website, your proposal document, your email signature) visually reinforces your expert status. It’s the equivalent of a doctor’s white coat—it creates credibility before you say a word.
2. Active Listening (The ‘Shut Up and Win' Tactic)
The Concept: Genuinely listen to understand, not just to wait for your turn to talk. The goal is for the prospect to do 80% of the talking. Ask open-ended questions and then take notes. Your only job is understanding their world, problems, and desired outcomes.
Why It Works: People are desperate to feel heard. When you listen intently, they feel respected. More importantly, they will tell you everything you need to know to help them, including the exact language to frame your solution.
Real-World Example: A graphic designer meets with a client for a new logo. Instead of showing a portfolio, they ask, “Forget colours and shapes for a moment. When a potential customer sees this logo, what one word do you want to pop into their head?” Then they wait, no matter how long the silence lasts.
The Branding Link: Great brands are built on market understanding. Your brand's messaging, imagery, and tone of voice should all reflect a deep understanding of your customer's pain points—an understanding that can only come from listening.
3. The Social Proof Lever (Let Others Sell For You)
The Concept: Use testimonials, case studies, reviews, and client logos to remove risk and build unshakable credibility. A claim you make about yourself is marketing. The same claim made by a satisfied customer is proof.
Why It Works: It taps into a fundamental human shortcut: we trust the experiences of our peers more than we trust advertisements. According to Nielsen, 92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, and 70% trust online consumer opinions. Social proof is a safety signal for the buyer's brain.
Real-World Example: A web developer includes a dedicated section in their proposals titled “Don't Just Take Our Word For It.” It features three short, powerful quotes from past clients in similar industries, complete with headshots and company names.
The Branding Link: A professionally designed website is the ultimate display case for your social proof. It turns a collection of quotes into a compelling narrative of success, integrated seamlessly into your brand story.
4. The Value-First Gambit (Give, Then Ask)
The Concept: Provide genuine, no-strings-attached value before asking for a sale. This could be a detailed blog post, a free audit, a helpful checklist, or a 15-minute diagnostic call. The key is that the value is real, even if they never buy from you.
Why It Works: This principle, often called reciprocity, is powerful. It disarms scepticism and builds goodwill. You demonstrate your expertise instead of just talking about it. The eventual “ask” feels less like a pitch and more like the next logical step in a helpful relationship. HubSpot built its entire empire on this idea.
Real-World Example: A bookkeeper for small businesses offers a free “15-Minute Financial Health Check” where they review a potential client's P&L and point out one or two key areas for improvement. There's no hard sell, just genuine help.
The Branding Link: This is the essence of content marketing, a core pillar of modern branding. Your brand becomes known not for what it sells, but for what it generously gives away.
5. Narrative Selling (Facts Tell, Stories Sell)
The Concept: People are wired for stories, not for data sheets. Wrap your solution, company's origin, or a client's success into a straightforward, relatable narrative. A story has a hero (the customer), a villain (their problem), and a guide (you).
Why It Works: Brain-imaging studies at Princeton University show that when you tell a story, the listener's brain activity mirrors yours. Stories connect emotionally, bypassing the cynical, logical parts of the brain that resist a sales pitch. They are memorable and shareable.
Real-World Example: An organic skincare company doesn't just list its ingredients. It tells the compelling story of its founder, who struggled for years with eczema and created the products in her kitchen out of desperation. Customers aren't just buying a lotion; they're buying a piece of that story.
The Branding Link: Your brand is a story. Every logo, colour palette, and piece of copy is a chapter. Narrative selling is simply telling that brand story in a one-to-one conversation.
6. Price Framing (It’s Not What It Costs, It’s What It’s Worth)
The Concept: Never present a price in a vacuum. The price must always be anchored to something else—either the immense value it provides or the high cost of not taking action.
Why It Works: Price is relative. £5,000 is expensive for a used car but incredibly cheap for a house. By framing the price, you control the context. You shift the conversation from “This is an expense” to “This is an investment with a significant return.”
Real-World Example: A branding agency is quoting a £10,000 project. They say, “The total investment is £10,000. For context, most of our clients waste more than that in a quarter on ad campaigns that don't convert because their messaging is unclear. This project fixes the foundation.”
The Branding Link: A premium brand commands a premium price. You cannot effectively frame a high price if your brand looks cheap. The design quality of your proposal alone can make a £10,000 price tag feel either shocking or completely reasonable.
7. The Assumptive Close (Confidence is Contagious)
The Concept: This isn't about being pushy. It's about confidently leading the conversation to its natural conclusion. You speak and act like the customer has already decided to move forward. It replaces weak, permission-seeking questions with clear, action-oriented statements.
Why It Works: It projects confidence in your solution and makes it easy for the client to agree. Asking “So, would you like to move forward?” creates friction and doubt. Stating the next step removes that friction.
Real-World Example:
- Weak: “So… let me know what you think.”
- Assumptive: “This all seems like a great fit. The next step on my end is to draft the formal project agreement. I can have that in your inbox by tomorrow afternoon.”
The Branding Link: A strong, confident brand presence makes this tactic feel natural. When your entire business identity exudes professionalism, a confident closing statement is congruent and expected, not arrogant.
8. The “Feel, Felt, Found” Bridge (Neutralising Objections)
The Concept: A simple, three-step formula to handle almost any objection with empathy and without confrontation.
- Feel: “I understand how you feel about the price.” (This validates their concern.)
- Felt: “Another client of mine, a company called [Client Name], initially felt the same way.” (This shows them they're not alone.)
- Found: “But they found that after the first six months, the new system saved them so much time that it more than paid for itself.” (This pivots to a positive outcome.)
Why It Works: It Acknowledges, Relates, and Re-frames. You're not arguing with their reality; you're validating it and then showing them a different path based on the experience of others.
The Branding Link: A trustworthy brand with a portfolio of success stories gives you a deep well of “found” scenarios to pull from. Without real client successes, this tactic is just empty words.
9. The Gentle Follow-Up System (Persistence Without Pestering)
The Concept: Most sales are lost due to a lack of follow-up. But “just checking in” emails are useless. A gentle system involves following up with value at each step. Share a relevant article, a new case study, or a helpful tip.
Why It Works: Statistics show 80% of sales require five follow-ups, yet 44% of salespeople give up after one. A value-based follow-up keeps you top-of-mind in a positive way. You're not a pest; you're a helpful resource.
Real-World Example: A week after sending a proposal, an IT consultant sends a follow-up email with the subject line “Thought you'd find this interesting.” The body says, “Hi John, I came across this new article on cybersecurity threats for businesses your size and thought of you. Hope you're having a good week.” That's it. No ask—just value.
The Branding Link: Every single email is a brand interaction. A sloppy, demanding follow-up erodes brand equity. A professional, helpful one builds it.
10. Outcome-Oriented Language (Sell the Holiday, Not the Aeroplane)
The Concept: Stop selling your process, features, or hours. Start selling the tangible, emotional, and financial results the customer will achieve. People don't buy a drill; they buy a hole in the wall.
Why It Works: Customers are motivated by solving their problems and achieving their desires. Your service is just the vehicle. Speaking directly to their desired outcome shows you understand what truly matters to them.
Real-World Example:
- Process-focused: “We offer SEO services including keyword research, on-page optimisation, and link building.”
- Outcome-focused: “We help you show up on the first page of Google, so your phone rings with new customers daily.”
The Branding Link: Your brand message should be built on this principle. Your website headline, social media bio, and business card should all scream the outcome you deliver. If your brand isn't communicating a clear result, it's just making noise.
Gap Selling: Getting the Customer to Yes
Everything you've been taught about sales is wrong, and that’s why you’re failing. This book shreds the old, tired myths. It gives you a new system—Gap Selling—that’s not about you or your product; it’s about the gap between your buyer’s current state and their desired one.
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Putting It All Together: The Non-Salesy Sales Conversation
These aren't isolated tricks. They weave together into a conversation that feels more like a consultation.
You start by diagnosing the problem (1) and actively listening to their needs (2). You offer value (4) and use stories (5), and social proof (3) to build trust. When you discuss the investment, you frame the price (6) against the value. If they have concerns, you use the “Feel, Felt, Found” bridge (8). You lead the conversation to the next step with an assumptive close (7) and use a gentle system to follow up (9). And throughout the entire conversation, you use outcome-oriented language (10).
It's a logical flow that puts the customer's needs at the centre of everything.
Conclusion: Stop Selling, Start Helping
The fundamental shift is one of intent. The goal is not to “close” a sale. The goal is to help someone make a clear, confident decision genuinely.
The entire dynamic changes when you genuinely believe your service or product is the best solution for that person's problem. The pressure vanishes. It stops feeling like sales and starts feeling like what it should be: a service.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the most effective sales tactic for a small business?
The most effective tactic is “The Expert Reframe.” By positioning yourself as a diagnostician solving a problem rather than a vendor pitching a product, you build immediate trust and authority, which is critical when you don't have a big corporate name behind you.
How can I sell without being pushy?
Focus on active listening and outcome-oriented language. When you truly understand the customer's problem and focus your conversation on the positive result they will achieve, the need to be “pushy” disappears. You are simply aligning your solution with their stated goal.
What is the difference between a sales tactic and a sales strategy?
A sales strategy is your overall plan and approach (e.g., “We will target mid-size tech companies by becoming a thought leader in their industry”). Sales tactics are specific actions to execute that strategy (e.g., using “Narrative Selling” in your discovery calls).
How many times should I follow up with a prospect?
While data suggests it can take five or more follow-ups to make a sale, the key is quality, not quantity. Use “The Gentle Follow-Up System”—provide value with each contact. Stop following up when they ask you to or when they are not a good fit.
What is “value-based selling”?
Value-based selling is an approach that centres the conversation on the tangible and intangible value a customer will receive, rather than on the product's features or price. Tactics like “Price Framing” and “Outcome-Oriented Language” are core components of value-based selling.
How do I handle the “it's too expensive” objection?
Use the “Feel, Felt, Found” bridge. Validate their concern (“I understand how you feel”), relate it to others (“Other clients felt the same way”), and then reframe it with a story about the return on investment (“But they found…”). This turns a price objection into a value conversation.
Can these sales tactics work for B2C as well as B2B?
Yes, absolutely. The underlying principles of trust, value, and clear communication are universal. Whether you're selling a branding package to a CEO or a skincare product to a consumer, telling a story, using social proof, and focusing on the outcome will always be effective.
What is an “assumptive close”?
An assumptive close is a technique where you guide the conversation forward by stating the next logical step, assuming the client is ready to proceed. It's not about being arrogant but about projecting confidence and making it easy for the customer to say yes.
Why is social proof so necessary in sales?
Social proof (testimonials, case studies, reviews) is a mental shortcut for buyers. It reduces their perceived risk by showing that others, just like them, have made the same decision and had a positive outcome. It builds credibility far more effectively than any marketing claim can.
How does branding directly impact sales effectiveness?
A strong brand acts as your silent salesperson. It pre-builds trust, justifies your price, and communicates your value proposition before you even speak to a prospect. Every tactic listed is significantly more powerful when backed by a professional and trustworthy brand identity.
Your brand is your silent salesperson, working 24/7. If it’s not building trust and justifying your value before entering the room, you’re starting every conversation at a disadvantage.
See what a strategic brand can do for your sales process. Request a Quote from Inkbot Design.
