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- Pushing kills trust. Period.
Pushing kills trust. Period.
I wasted money learning this the hard way
Stephen Stanberry
September 29th, 2025
So friend!
When I first started freelancing, I thought selling meant fighting objections.
If someone said, “I’m not ready,” I’d try to prove they were.
If they said, “I can’t afford it,” I’d scramble to lower the price.
If they said, “I need to think about it,” I’d chase them until they ghosted.
It was exhausting.
And it never worked.
The shift came after I got burned on an investment of my own.
I spent money I didn’t have on a course that wasn’t right for me.
And I realized something important:
no one wins when a sale starts with pressure.
That’s when I made a decision.
I wouldn’t try to “handle” objections in my content.
I wouldn’t write posts that prey on fear.
I wouldn’t drag people into offers they weren’t ready for.
Instead, I’d build trust.
Trust by sharing stories that mirror what my audience is going through.
Trust by teaching frameworks they can apply right now.
Trust by making it clear what I offer and who it’s for.
Because the right people don’t need to be convinced.
They need to see the path.
If your sales feel like a fight, take a look at your content.
Ask: does this build trust, or am I trying to pressure?
That one shift changed how I write.
It also changed how I sell.
Talk soon,
Stephen
PS: Here’s a prompt for you. Write about a time you ignored your gut and what it taught you. Keep it under 200 words. Post it if you’re ready, or keep it private if you’re not. Either way, you’ll sharpen your storytelling muscle.
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