If you’ve ever felt like something wasn’t quite clicking in your sales process—even when you’re saying all the “right” things—it might be because you’re selling to someone who doesn’t feel safe enough to buy.
Let me explain.
There’s a reason why your best content can still get crickets.
A reason why some people feel “on the fence” even when your offer is clearly life-changing.
And it goes way deeper than pricing or fear of commitment.
It comes back to human needs.
More specifically: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs—and how understanding it will make you a better, more ethical, more effective seller.
The Foundation: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Abraham Maslow was a psychologist in the 1950s who sought to understand why some people thrive and others just survive.
He proposed that human motivation is based on a five-tier model of needs, often depicted as a pyramid:
The idea was simple: You cannot sustainably move up the pyramid without the bottom layers being met first.
In the 1950s, Maslow reported that less than 1% of people reached self-actualization.
But today, with the rise of awareness, access to information, and tools for self-development, we have the potential to rise through the hierarchy faster—if our environments support it.
Here’s the tie-in:
You are selling a need.
Every offer you create exists to meet a human need at some level of this pyramid.
And if your sales process doesn’t account for which needs your audience is trying to meet—or worse, if you’re marketing to people stuck in tier one while assuming they’re in tier four—it’s going to fall flat.
Let’s break it down.
The bottom two levels of Maslow’s pyramid—Physiological and Safety—represent what I call survival mode.
This is your audience when they’re experiencing:
At this level, every decision feels like a risk—even one that could change their life.
This is not about “mindset.” This is biology and survival instinct.
🎯 The key point?
If someone is operating from tier 1 or 2, they are not in a position to invest in transformation. And pushing them to do so is not ethical. Period.
If your client is thinking, “If I do this, I won’t be able to pay rent,” that is not the time to hard-sell.
When I was in college, I saw Maslow’s pyramid so many times I wanted to scream.
Fast forward a few years—and now I see how crucial it is in business and life.
I’m known for telling the story of how I started my business with $200 and made my first investment while living at home.
And yes, that’s true.
But here’s the nuance most people miss:
Even though I was broke, I was safe.
So I was able to make a decision from Tier 3—belonging and growth.
That’s the difference between a bootstrap story and a survival story.
And it’s why we can’t build all our sales messaging on bootstrap narratives.
Because not everyone has the same safety net.
A lot of sales content in the online space is built on this idea:
“I figured it out, so you can too.”
And while it might feel empowering… it’s not always applicable.
What works for someone in Tier 4 may not work for someone in Tier 2.
This is where your brand story, as powerful as it is, needs context.
I’m not saying throw away your journey or hide your success.
I’m saying, add nuance.
Add empathy.
Add inclusion.
Let’s talk about how to apply this framework inside your business—without guilt, shame, or compromise.
Map your offer to the need it meets:
Then, market to people who have already met the lower tiers.
If your offer supports Tier 4 (e.g., becoming a confident CEO), but your content is reaching people who can’t pay their bills—it won’t convert.
In the buyer psych files, I teach that there’s a difference between:
Only one of those is a red flag.
As a CEO, it’s your responsibility to recognize the difference.
Don’t push someone into a sale that puts them in survival mode.
Not every ‘no’ is an objection to handle. Some are boundaries to respect.
This doesn’t mean lowering your prices.
It means offering accessible pathways to your work.
✅ Extended payment plans (with transparent terms)
✅ Low-ticket but high-ROI products
✅ Free resources that are actually valuable
This creates trust and serves the long game.
Many of my Scale to $5K clients started with a free training or $47 product.
Their transformation started the day they felt seen and supported, not the day they dropped thousands.
If you’re in a financially stable place in your business, consider building in scholarships.
This could be:
It’s not about being a savior. It’s about being a leader.
When we lift others, we raise the bar for the entire industry.
You want to talk about needs? Let’s talk VALUE.
Don’t give people a generic checklist and call it a lead magnet.
If your freebie could be found with a 5-minute Google search, it’s not helping anyone.
Free content can:
If it solves a small, clear problem and builds belief in what’s possible, it’s doing its job.
When selling, ask yourself:
Your job isn’t just to sell.
It’s to lead people toward the transformation—but only when they’re ready and supported.
Recent years have shown us what’s really going on in the world—and in our businesses.
We’ve seen:
In this environment, ethical marketing isn’t optional.
It’s the bare minimum.
And understanding Needs Theory is how we move from performative selling to transformative leading.
None of this means you stop selling.
Or that you downplay the value of your work.
You can be direct. You can sell with confidence. You can share your story.
But now, you’re doing it with a new lens:
✨ One that understands who your audience really is
✨ One that builds trust through alignment
✨ One that respects the season someone is in
This isn’t about dumbing down your content.
It’s about smartening up your empathy.
We are not just marketers.
We are educators. Leaders. Stewards of impact.
Maslow’s Hierarchy isn’t just a psychology diagram—it’s a blueprint for selling in a way that aligns with humanity.
When you recognize where your dream client is in the hierarchy…
And you create products, messaging, and pathways that help them rise…
That’s when sales become a movement, not just a metric.
If you’re wondering why clients are watching but not buying—this is your next step.
Inside the free mini course “Why You’re Not Making $5K Months (And How to Fix It)”, you’ll learn:
This mini course will challenge how you think about selling—and give you real strategies to change it.
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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?
I’m teaching you to ditch the sleaze, unaligned, and just flat out dumb sales advice. You in?