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The Sales Psychology Shift: Why Understanding How People Buy Will Make You a Better Seller

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Features, Psych, Sales

August 4, 2022

I’ve talked a lot about sales psychology and how it fundamentally changed my business.
But what I haven’t fully shared is why that shift was so powerful—not just for signing more clients, but for rebuilding my relationship with selling.

To me, sales psychology was the gateway drug.
Not to manipulation. Not to “get rich quick” tactics.
But to learning how people actually buy—and why that knowledge makes it easier (and more enjoyable) to sell.

My name is Meghan Lamle. I’m a sales expert who helps online entrepreneurs make sales feel effortless so they can grow their income without burning out. I believe selling should be fun, profitable, and rooted in human behavior.

And honestly? Sales psychology helped me see that most of us are doing it backwards.


Pandemic Reading and the Realization That Changed Everything

Let’s rewind to 2020. Quarantine hit. And like many of us, I took to reading. (What else was I gonna do? Become a fitness influencer? Not likely.)

That’s when I stumbled into the world of behavioral psychology and decision science—books like Predictably Irrational, Thinking, Fast and Slow, and Influence.
I didn’t realize it then, but I was opening a Pandora’s box that would shift every part of how I built offers, launched, and sold.

I started to connect the dots between what I was learning and what I saw happening in my own sales process—and in the businesses of my clients.
The stress, the resistance, the over-explaining, the ghosting—it all made sense when I learned the why behind it.

Most sales advice online focuses on tactics—DM scripts, call frameworks, pricing tricks, deadline funnels.
But I’ve always been the kind of person who wants to understand why something works. Tactics are great—but without the psychology behind them, you’re just throwing spaghetti at the wall.

So I started pairing sales psychology with consumer behavior.


Why This Matters More Than Ever in the Online Business Space

Let’s be honest: the internet is louder than ever.
Your ideal clients are being pitched 24/7. They’ve opted into 12 freebies, followed 10 “coaches,” and seen every possible offer format.

And most of the time, they’re not buying.

Not because they’re “broke.” Not because your price is too high.
But because your sales process isn’t matching their buying process.

The moment I understood that was the moment everything changed. Because the truth is, people buy for emotional reasons—and justify with logic.

So when you’re only selling with logic (features, payment plans, “how many calls are included”) and not connecting to emotion, identity, or belief systems, you’re missing the most powerful part of the process.


The Shift from Tactics to Psychology-Driven Selling

Let’s break this down:

Traditional SalesPsychology-Driven Sales
Focus on featuresFocus on feelings and transformation
Leads with logicLeads with identity and emotion
One-size-fits-all pitchBuyer-type-specific messaging
Pressure-based urgencyPersonalized urgency tied to belief systems
“Convince” someone to buyHelp someone realize they’re ready

Sales psychology shifts your strategy from pushing to pulling.
It gives your ideal clients the clarity and confidence they need to make the decision for themselves—which, spoiler, leads to better clients, lower refund rates, and way less stress on your nervous system.


Why People Actually Buy: Understanding the Brain

Here’s a simple breakdown of what’s happening in your client’s brain when they buy:

  1. The subconscious spots something familiar
  2. The limbic system (emotions) fires first
  3. Then the rational brain justifies the decision

That’s why no one ever bought a program because of how many Google Docs are included.
They buy because they want to feel clear, powerful, respected, seen, confident, unstuck.

They want the transformation. Your job is to sell that—and to understand how their brain processes that transformation.


Key Concepts from Sales Psychology That Changed My Business

1. The Belief Before the Buy

Every buyer has a set of subconscious beliefs they filter the world through:

  • “High-ticket means high-quality”
  • “I have to struggle before I succeed”
  • “I’m bad at sales”
  • “No one is buying right now”

If your content and pitch don’t address these beliefs, they’ll hold someone back from investing—even if your offer is perfect.

What we’re really doing in sales is offering people a new belief.

The belief that this will work. That they’re capable. That they’re safe to move forward.


2. Buyer Types

There are four dominant buyer types—and you sell to each differently:

  • Drivers want results, now. They need urgency, proof, and ROI.
  • Analyticals want details and logic. They need clear information and time to process.
  • Emotionals buy based on story and connection. They need to feel the transformation.
  • Connectors buy because of people. They need community, social proof, and relationship.

If your content only speaks to one buyer type, you’re missing up to 75% of your audience.
This is one of the biggest fixes I help clients make inside Scale to $5K and our evergreen sales strategies.


3. The Stages of Buying

Your dream client is not always “problem aware.”
Here’s what they’re actually moving through:

  1. Problem Awareness – “Something isn’t working.”
  2. Agitation – “I can’t keep doing this.”
  3. Solution Awareness – “I want X result.”
  4. Product Awareness – “Maybe this offer can help.”
  5. You Awareness – “I trust this person to help me.”

Most people are creating content only for stage one or two—when the truth is, we need to guide people through all five stages.

This is how you build a full-funnel content strategy that drives consistent sales without starting over every month.


4. Habit Formation and Decision Triggers

Humans are creatures of habit—and we don’t like hard decisions.
That’s why we’re more likely to buy from someone we already feel connected to, have followed for a while, or have had a mini-transformation with.

This is called the Endowment Effect—when people feel like they already “own” part of the result.

Your job as a seller is to:

  • Create emotional micro-wins (free tips, strong messaging, validating beliefs)
  • Make the decision easy (remove friction from the checkout)
  • Show them what happens after they say yes

5. Objection Handling Is Fear Handling

Most objections are just a buyer saying “I’m scared.”

  • “I need to think about it” = I don’t trust myself to decide
  • “I can’t afford it” = I don’t believe I’ll get results
  • “Now’s not the right time” = I’m scared of change

Handling objections is not about “overcoming” someone. It’s about helping them process fear in a way that builds trust.

This is why we map objections before we launch. We bake it into content. We normalize the hesitation and offer a path forward.


Real-Life Wins: How Sales Psychology Helped My Clients

Let’s make this real.

  • A client who hadn’t sold in months finally closed a $4K offer after reworking her content to speak to “You Awareness” instead of just problem awareness.
  • Another client was burnt out from launching and wanted to move to evergreen. By restructuring her pitch for emotional and analytical buyers, she started getting applications weekly from her email list.
  • A membership creator went from “people love my content but don’t buy” to enrolling 30+ people in a soft launch by using buyer behavior mapping and adjusted urgency cues.

When you know what’s happening in someone’s brain during the decision-making process, everything changes.


Why Sales Psychology Works for Any Offer (Even Low-Ticket)

There’s a belief that psychology is only for high-ticket.

But here’s the truth: everything is sales.

Your freebie? Sales.
Your checkout page? Sales.
Your $27 template shop? Sales.

If you don’t know how people buy, you’re leaving money on the table—no matter what your price point is.


So… Where Do You Start?

If you’re feeling like:

  • “I’ve tried everything and nothing’s working”
  • “People love my content but I’m not making sales”
  • “Selling makes me feel gross or fake”

It’s not your fault. You’ve been taught tactics without the why.

And without that psychological layer, selling will always feel like a guessing game.


Here’s What to Do Next:

Start small. You don’t need a psychology degree to sell with empathy and effectiveness.

Try these first:

  • Audit your last 10 posts—who do they speak to? Which buyer type? Which buying stage?
  • Pick one objection your audience always has. Address it directly in a post—without shame.
  • Pay attention to your own buying behavior. What made you click “buy”? What feeling was present?

Once you see the patterns, you can create them on purpose.


Final Word: Sales Psychology Makes Selling Feel Like Serving

When you understand how your dream client thinks, buys, hesitates, and decides—selling becomes something different.
It’s not convincing. It’s not manipulation. It’s not a performance.

It’s simply offering the right solution, in the right way, at the right time.

And when you do that consistently?

Sales become inevitable.


Ready to Fix What’s Actually Stopping You from Hitting $5K Months?

If you’re showing up online, doing “all the things,” and still not signing clients consistently—there’s a deeper problem. And it’s not your work ethic, your niche, or your Canva graphics.

It’s your sales system.

Inside the free mini course: “Why You’re Not Making $5K Months (and How to Fix It)” you’ll learn:

  • The real reason your content isn’t converting—even when it’s valuable
  • The sales mistakes most online entrepreneurs don’t know they’re making
  • How to rebuild your sales process to attract, connect with, and convert dream clients on repeat

This isn’t fluff. It’s the clarity and direction you’ve been missing.

 
 
 
The Real Reason You’re Not Hitting $5K Months — and How to Fix It (Fast)
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Features, Psych, Sales

CATEGORY

8/04/22

POSTED

The Sales Psychology Shift: Why Understanding How People Buy Will Make You a Better Seller

Hey again, Meghan Lamle here!

With over 10 years of experience in sales and serving 375+ female entrepreneurs, I've discovered exactly what works—and what doesn't.

Here's what I want you to know:

Selling effortlessly online is achievable without sleazy tactics.

Authentic marketing naturally attracts your ideal clients.

Sales confidence transforms your business growth.

After leaving corporate and making $200K in my first year online, I'm dedicated to helping other women do the same.

If you're tired of feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure about your sales strategy…

I'm here to guide you to:

Attract dream clients consistently

Sell confidently and authentically

Grow your online coaching business sustainably

Ready to embrace sales strategies that align with you?

MASTER EFFORTLESS SELLING