Confession time: I’ve never liked sales scripts.
I’ve tried them. In the early freelance days, I’d Google “best sales script,” copy-paste some guru’s word-for-word pitch, and hop on Zoom feeling like a total robot.
You know the type – “Hi [insert client name], I help [insert niche] with [insert benefit]. Do you have 15 minutes to talk about [insert offer]?”
Cringe.
Not only did it feel fake, but half the time the client would interrupt and throw me off script anyway. Cue me sweating, scrambling, and sounding more like a telemarketer than a professional.
Here’s what actually worked (and still works today): a psychology principle so simple it almost feels too easy. And it’s closed more sales for me than any script ever has.
The Trick: Labeling
This one comes straight from Chris Voss – former FBI hostage negotiator – in his book Never Split the Difference. (Side note: if you haven’t read it, stop what you’re doing and add it to your cart. It’s that good.)
Labeling is just this: you name the emotion you hear in the other person.
That’s it. You’re not fighting, convincing, or bulldozing through objections. You’re showing them you understand.
Here’s how it plays out:
Client: “I don’t know if I can afford this right now.”
Old me: launches into a panic-discount spiral.
New me: “It sounds like you’re nervous about wasting money again.”
Or…
“It seems like the timing feels risky for you.”
Or even…
“It looks like you want to do this, but you’re worried about cash flow.”
And then – here’s the kicker – you stop talking.
You don’t justify. You don’t rush to fill the silence. You let them respond. And 9 times out of 10, they’ll open up more honestly than if you’d tried to argue them into buying.
Why Scripts Fail (And This Doesn’t)
Scripts assume every human is the same. Spoiler alert: they’re not.
Labeling works because it cuts straight past logic and talks to the limbic brain – the emotional part that actually makes decisions. People justify with logic later, but the “yes” almost always comes from emotion.
That’s why this little shift works better than memorizing a cheesy line. You’re not tricking anyone. You’re making them feel understood. And humans buy when they feel safe, not when they feel pitched.
👉 If you want more of my go-to methods for landing clients (without sounding like a used car salesman), grab my free guide: 80 Ways to Find a Client
https://rachelpedersen.clickfunnels.com/rachel-80-ways
My Real-Life Test
I’ll never forget one client call early on in my freelancing career. She’d worked with three different “social media managers” before me – all disasters. She was hesitant, closed off, and giving me one-word answers.
Old me would have started throwing spaghetti: “Well, my packages are flexible!” “We can start small!” “You can’t afford NOT to hire me!”
Instead, I tried labeling. I said:
“It sounds like you’ve been burned before, and you don’t want to throw money at someone who disappears.”
She froze. Then laughed. Then said, “Yes. Exactly. That’s it.”
And she hired me.
Not because I was the cheapest. Not because I was slick. But because I named her fear better than she could herself.
How To Practice This
Labeling isn’t hard, but it takes practice. Here’s how to start:
- Listen more than you talk. Stop rehearsing your next line and actually hear them.
- Reflect emotion, not just words. “So you’re saying you can’t afford it” is parroting. “It sounds like you’re worried about wasting money again” is labeling.
- Use softeners. Phrases like “It sounds like…” “It seems like…” “It looks like…” make your reflection gentle instead of aggressive.
- Shut up after. This part matters. Once you label, pause. The silence feels weird, but the client usually fills it with honesty – and that’s gold.
Books That Made Me Better at This
- Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
- Influence by Robert Cialdini
- The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
These aren’t “sales books” in the traditional sense – they’re human books. And sales is just humans talking to humans.
The Bigger Picture
Here’s what labeling taught me: people don’t want a “perfect script.” They want to feel seen.
That’s exactly why The Social Clique works the way it does. It’s not just me throwing strategies at you. It’s community, coaching, and a safe place where your business questions, fears, and wins actually get heard – and answered.
👉 If you want to build a business with real systems (and real people in your corner), check it out here:
https://www.cliqueforlife.com
One Last Thing
If you’ve been hiding behind the excuse “I’m just bad at sales,” I want you to try this. Forget memorized lines. Forget pushing past objections.
Listen. Label. Pause.
That one shift might close your next client – and it’ll feel 100x better than sounding like a bad telemarketer.
