Ep: 09 Simple Messaging Shifts That Increase Sales Conversions
“Clients don’t want your pile of evidence. They just want to know what to do.”
Emylee
I am begging you to stop burying the lead. Your buyers don’t need your case study collage, they need direction. Today I’m breaking down the tiny messaging shifts that turn waffly conversations into clean yeses, and why high‑level clients would rather you be decisive than endlessly “bring receipts.” If your proposals, emails, and sales calls feel like a polite TED Talk, this is your intervention.
What You’ll Hear in This Episode
I show you the one shift that immediately tightened my close rate: tell them what to stop, what to start, and the result to expect.
Why higher‑level clients want decisions, not debate, and how to lead without over‑explaining.
Where dead weight hides in your copy, sales pages, and emails, and exactly how to cut it.
My capsule‑closet analogy for advisory work, and how to apply it on your next sales call.
A simple audit you can run on your proposals and website this week to boost conversions.
Why Your Messaging Has Dead Weight
Most service providers try to earn the right to advise by stacking evidence first, then offering direction. I used to do it too, and I still catch my clients doing it daily. “In my experience… my clients saw… HubSpot says… therefore we should…” You’re citing your sources like a term paper.
Here’s the shift, and it’s tiny. Lead with the directive, not the dossier. Say, “If your goal is X, then we’re doing Y. Full stop.” Back it up later if you must, but put the decision first. High‑level clients are paying you to remove options, not add them.
Be the Stylist, Not the Shopping Buddy
If I hire a capsule‑wardrobe stylist, I don’t want a 30‑minute discussion on the cultural history of blazers. I want, “Keep this, toss that, buy these three pieces.” Same with strategy and advisory. There are a thousand ways to get more sales, sure, but your client hired you to pick one and lead them there.
Try this script on your next call: “Given your goal of X by Y date, we’re stopping A and B, we’re starting C, and we’ll measure D, weekly.” That single sentence beats a 20‑slide preamble every time.
Where the Fluff Hides (and How to Cut It)
I call these sections dead weight:
Hero paragraphs that start with your biography or how many years you’ve worked with “hundreds of founders.”
Sales emails that recap your research instead of stating the next step.
Proposals that justify line items with mini essays.
Replace them with:
A result‑first headline and a one‑liner: who it’s for, what it does, by when.
A direct CTA tied to the result: “Book the call to scope X by Friday.”
A short plan: stop this, start that, here’s how we’ll track it.
Lead, Then Explain (If Needed)
I tested this with a client rolling out a new channel. Old me wanted to open with tutorials and case studies. New me deleted the preamble and said, “If your goal is X, we’re doing Y.” They pushed back with, “But my buddy said…” I held the line: “That won’t get this result, this will.” They exhaled, we moved.
You can be wrong sometimes, that’s fine. Your job is to own the decision, get the data, adjust quickly. They’re paying for a path, not a pile of links.
Your 30‑Minute Messaging Audit
Do these today, no drama:
Sales page hero: Replace your origin story with a result‑first promise in one sentence.
CTA sweep: Every page and email should end with one action tied to one outcome.
Proposal intros: Start with “Objective, Approach, Metrics,” then deliverables. One page, tops.
Email templates: Make three versions you send often, each beginning with, “If your goal is X, we’ll do Y.”
Call opener: Lead the first five minutes with the recommendation, not the reasoning.
Chapters
00:05 – The tiny messaging shift that changes conversions
02:26 – Why higher‑level clients want decisions, not debate
04:42 – Authority anchor: claim the one result you deliver
07:04 – Stop citing sources, start giving direction
09:09 – Presenting to executives: boil it down to do/don’t
11:12 – Delete the preamble, lead with the plan
13:42 – Holding the line when clients test your strategy
16:08 – Your job is the path, not the pile of links
18:32 – The laundry test: trim the copy clutter and convert
Resources & Mentions
Interested in Being on the Show or Working with Emylee?
Are you a service provider with a bold perspective to share? Apply to be a guest.
Ready to transform your service into a productized, scalable offer? Apply for Sold Out Services.
If you’d like to see a library of all published episodes in a gallery with easy-to-find links to all listening platforms be sure to check out the Sell The Damn Service Episode Library.
