Are you selling the Uber ride or the vacation?
Picture this:
You’re lying on a poolside lounger, sipping your favorite drink, feeling the ocean breeze and warm sun on your skin. Your previous problems are a distant memory and your stress has totally melted away. All you feel is peace, freedom, and excitement. 🍹🦩
That’s the vacation.
Now imagine someone tried to sell you that vacation by saying:
“First, you’ll wake up at 4 AM. Then you’ll call an Uber, haul your luggage to the curb, and head to the airport. Then you’ll board a plane, land, and catch a taxi to your hotel. Once you're in your room, then you can go lie by the pool with a nice drink. You'll probably be a bit exhausted, but it will be so worth it!"
Not quite as enticing, right?
But this is a critical mistake many of us make when selling our services or offers.
Here's the breakdown
Most people sell the process (the Uber ride) instead of the transformation (the vacation).
🚕 vs. 🏖️- which would you buy?
We get caught up in all the steps - the entire blueprint of our 1:1 service process, or many modules our digital course has including what worksheets and templates, thinking that’s what will entice people to work with us.
And it's totally understandable. We as the creator-architect are genuinely excited and proud of the process we've put together and KNOW all the good it will do for our clients and customers. 🏆
BUT to your audience, it just sounds like a whole lotta WORK. 🤯
Instead, if you want to close more deals and make more sales, it's crucial to paint the picture of what life will look and feel like after they're done working with you.
Here's why
People make purchasing decisions based on emotions first and logic second.
The brain is wired to seek pleasure and avoid pain, which means potential clients are more likely to engage with messaging that speaks to their desired future state rather than a list of features.
In marketing psychology, it's called the pain-pleasure principle: buyers are either moving away from a problem (pain) or toward a goal (pleasure).
When you highlight the transformation, you tap into their aspirations by painting a vivid picture of the success, relief, confidence, (aka - good feelings) they’ll experience as a result of solving their problem or achieving their desire by working with you.
On the other hand, when sales copy focuses on features (the process, the steps, the logistics), it engages the analytical brain, which can lead to overwhelm.
Too many details make potential clients feel like they have to “work” to get the result. And if it feels like work, your potential buyers are going to resist.
How to Sell the Vacation Instead
The next time you talk about your services, shift your messaging from process to transformation.
✅ Instead of: "You'll get 10 lessons on watercolor techniques, from color mixing to layering."
🔥 Try: "Imagine confidently painting breathtaking landscapes, compelling still lifes, or abstract masterpieces, without second-guessing every brushstroke."
✅ Instead of: "You'll learn my step-by-step budgeting system and early retirement investment strategies."
🔥 Try: "Picture yourself checking your bank account and feeling excited instead of anxious—knowing your money is working for you, not against you."
See the difference? One sounds like homework. The other sounds like a dream worth investing in.
In a nutshell 🥜
Transformation sells because it connects with emotions and makes the investment feel like a clear path to a better future.
People buy with emotion and justify with logic. Features may validate the choice, but transformation creates the desire to buy.
So I’ll ask you: Are you selling the Uber ride or the vacation?
Hit reply and let me know!
XO,
Tina
P.S. If you'd like to unlock boss level in your own website and marketing copy so you can increase sales and help more clients, check out Words That Sell, my brand messaging and website copywriting template system.
