3 Ways to Ditch the Sleaze in Your Copy for Wellness Coaches
Simple tips to keep you on the right track and practicing non-sleazy copy for your audience.
Angie
10/1/20245 min read
The harm sleazy copy is doing to your brand image
I know you're here because you already believe there is no place for sleaze in the way you write and communicate with your audience.
More and more businesses online are actively pursuing non-sleazy marketing in their copy and for good reason. Sleazy copy and hard selling is harmful to your brand because it compromises the trust your audience has built with you. This is especially true for Health and Wellness coaches, because your purpose is to help people get well, get healthy and when your language around selling is misguided, it can bring real harm to the people you want to serve and the harm to your brand itself can take a very long time to undo.
Your brand image needs to be one of trust and integrity because the results you're bringing clients are impacting their lives daily. Now I know a ton of Health and Wellness coaches who uphold integrity as part of their services and offers. Still, there is no denying the biggest growing sector is the health and supplement industry which is filled...FILLED with a very direct-response copywriting style. This writing style thrives on pushing pain points and driving urgency like a house is on fire (cue: eye roll) to get people to buy and I know you're not about that.
Though, with the chaotic amount of information online, how do you know when you're being sleazy and not?
Well, the last thing I'd want is for you to stop any kind of selling or marketing because you're afraid of being sleazy. So read on for a quick check:
Amplifying the value of your services
Plain and simple, are you charging some ridiculous pricing to make the most amount of money?
I am all about charging your worth, (trust me, it took me 3 years to adjust my prices to what my business coach STILL calls undercharging) but if you're charging $777 for a 30-day meal plan - that's some ridiculous pricing.
This is easily checked by doing a survey of your peers and noting what's different about your particular service to allow for a higher price point. The aim here is to be realistic about the deliverable, the effort and hours you're putting in, and other bonuses you're giving as part of the deal.
The aim is NOT to undercharge to make your offer more marketable, and on that note, I would discourage you from asking your clients what they'd be willing to pay as people generally default to a lower price point for 'savings'. When you've developed programs within your Health and Wellness business to bring the best results for every type of client, you want to market these well - because I know you're here for impact on top of running a highly successful business.
Focus on the value that your service is providing, tie in the benefits of each aspect to the clients overall well-being and price it fairly from that point of view. Especially focus on whether this is a tailor-made solution unique to the person or a group program, as the latter typically is lower priced.
Also, keep in mind whether your service is providing short-term or long term benefits, as the latter should be priced higher.
Tactics that are sleazy and how to turn it around
In the direct response world, there are plenty of tactics used to get people off the fence and dishing out their cash. You've heard many of them, let's break some down.
FOMO and scarcity
Fear of missing out and scarcity. This is used to push flash sales, to push last spots, to push last days for discounts. Basically, you're marketing to the intrinsic need humans have NOT to miss out and be part of something - just like everyone else.
The problem with this is when it's used unethically. When you say it's the LAST TIME you'll ever run a sale and lo and behold you run the exact same sale 2 months down the road. That's sleazy.
Or when you say you've only got 2 spots left in a program when in fact you have 8. That's sleazy because you're falsely trying to create scarcity.
People gravitate towards those who are authentic and truthful in their marketing.
Here's how to turn the above 2 examples into a more ethical way of marketing.
For the first example, instead of saying this is the last time you'll run a sale, include a special bonus this round that won't be there for the next round.
For the 2nd example, be clear about the closing date, celebrate those who are in, talk about how you're going to help them specifically within the program, then keep your statement general: There's still space to join us inside X program, DM me for any questions.
Having open lines of communication as a Health and Wellness Coach is so important in allowing feelings of trust to develop in a potential client.
Shaming language
Please refrain from shaming people into a buying decision. It's ridiculous that people still do this in 2024 but I see it even within newsletter sign-ups on websites!
Here's what I mean by shaming language: If you don't buy this, you'll regret it.
And within click-through buttons on websites, the below are some examples.
Example: No thanks, I'd rather pay full price for everything.
Example: No thanks, I'm not interested in tips to get healthy.
Seriously...why?
This language is ridiculous and ultimately backfires on your brand authenticity.
Let people make their own decisions without shaming.
Turn this around by being clear and transparent about the changes you KNOW your offer can bring, then naturally those who need your offer will make a purchase decision.
When they're greeted on your website with language like that above, you can best believe they've skipped out of there in a heartbeat.
Here's a better way to say the above:
Example: No thanks, I'd rather pay full price for everything.
Better: Not right now, I'll keep browsing.
(This creates zero pressure and doesn't make assumptions about them in any way)
Example: No thanks, I'm not interested in tips to get healthy.
Better: No thanks, I'll find you when I'm ready
(Again, zero pressure to sign up, and empowers them to make the call when THEY are ready)
Your goal as a Health and Wellness Coach is always to create touchpoints that communicate trust and credibility and language that is not pressure-filled and judgemental is the best way to get there.
Drop the hard sell
In a nutshell, drop the elevator pitch in your selling and have a conversation over coffee vibes.
The elevator pitch is such an old tactic of presenting your value. This was probably created just as a way to get concise about the transformation you provide but has evolved to become very robotic in the way it's presented and DEFINITELY robotic in the connection it creates with real humans.
As a Health and Wellness Coach, you want to build relationships with clients based on trust first and foremost.
So think about presenting your offer to a bestie over coffee, how would you sell her on it? What would she want to know? How would you phrase the benefits of this?
Important to note: When you're getting TOO casual you can forget highlighting the actual transformation your offer provides, so keep that in mind when you're moving away from hard selling language.
The Conclusion
Selling has gotten a bad rep these days because of how sleazy it has become. The reality is we can't succeed as business owners if we stop selling. And your Health and Wellness business is the same. Your service needs to reach people and make an impact. So don't give up on selling.
Focus instead of how you can use empowering, inclusive language in your copy and if you stay away from the tactics above, you're good to go!
Also remember the importance of brand cohesiveness. When you're looking to change up your language to be more empowering, inclusive and non-shaming make sure you're doing it across platforms.
If you're looking for marketing help that is centered around language that is non-sleazy and relationship building, give me a follow on Instagram or drop your contact form to get in touch about my services.