Salesy vs. compelling

 A recent Upwork proposal caught my eye:

"I'm looking for an ultra-compelling copywriter to write sales pages and emails for a mostly female audience. No heavy-handed, super sales-y writing please."

I see this kind of tight-rope walking request frequently. Here's another:

• Professional and non-pushy tone
• Use of multiple buying hooks or signals to get results
• Clear calls to action

So how do you come off as professional, and clearly call people to action without being "salesy"?

The first is something you could do in person with a friend, or a level-headed person who had already hired you as a coach. You can make a clear pitch for something that is in their best interest - a win-win. And simply ask them to take action. No over-the-top claims or rah-rah needed. No overly emotional appeals necessary. 

But if you can link your call to action to something they truly care about, without being manipulative, that's a plus. After all, human beings are not truly rational. Many of our decisions are based on gut instinct or emotion, nostalgia, etc. Painting a picture of success with words that are visual and evocative can really help your pitch hit home. 

But this is where the water gets a little muddy. One person's nostalgia might be another person's emotional manipulation. 

So while it's easy to just not use all caps or lots of exclamation points, it's a little less easy to make a pitch that actually resonates without potentially offending someone. 

You'll have to decide if that risk is one you're willing to take.