Why I Don’t Sell Hard Anymore (And Close More Deals)
By Marvin “Big Marv” Coffman | Dual Funnel System
There was a time when I thought selling meant convincing.
Pitch harder.
Follow up more.
Handle objections one by one.
It worked… sometimes.
But it was exhausting and unpredictable.
Then something changed.
I stopped trying to sell people.
And started letting the funnel do the work before the conversation ever happened.
That’s when my close rate went up and the pressure went down.
The Problem With “Hard Selling”
Hard selling assumes one thing:
The prospect isn’t ready.
So the salesperson has to push them there.
That leads to:
- Long calls explaining basics
- Defensive objections
- Price resistance
- Awkward follow-ups
When you’re constantly persuading, you’re starting too early.
The real issue isn’t the pitch.
It’s that the prospect hasn’t been prepared.
What Pre-Selling Actually Means
Pre-selling doesn’t mean manipulating or hyping.
It means educating, positioning, and qualifying before the sales call.
By the time someone talks to you, they already:
- Understand the problem
- Believe the solution matters
- Trust your approach
- See you as the logical next step
You’re not convincing.
You’re confirming.
Funnels Are Better Teachers Than Sales Calls
Sales calls are expensive places to educate.
Funnels aren’t.
A well-built funnel:
- Answers common questions
- Handles surface-level objections
- Shows proof and credibility
- Filters out bad-fit leads
All before a human ever gets involved.
That’s why I stopped selling hard.
The funnel does the heavy lifting.
The Shift: From Pitching to Positioning
Here’s the key mindset change:
Old way:
“How do I close this lead?”
New way:
“How do I design the journey so the closeness is obvious?”
When positioning happens upstream, selling downstream becomes simple.
No pressure.
No chasing.
No convincing.
How Pre-Selling Funnels Actually Work
Pre-selling funnels focus on progression, not persuasion.
They guide prospects through three stages:
1. Problem Clarity
Content that helps prospects clearly see:
- What’s broken
- Why it keeps happening
- Why “doing nothing” costs more
This creates internal motivation.
2. Solution Awareness
Now you introduce how the problem gets solved.
Not your offer yet just the method.
This reframes the conversation:
“This is the right way to solve it.”
3. Authority + Fit
Only then do you show:
- Why your system works
- Who it’s for (and who it’s not)
- What happens next
By this point, the prospect is self-qualified.
Why Sales Calls Feel Easier Now
Because the funnel already:
- Sets expectations
- Frames pricing context
- Establishes value
- Filters tire-kickers
Sales calls stop being debates and start being decisions.
Most calls sound like:
“I’ve been through your stuff. I just want to know how we start.”
That’s not luck.
That’s pre-selling.
Automation Makes This Scalable
Pre-selling doesn’t require more effort.
It requires better structure.
Behavior-based funnels:
- Send different messages based on actions
- Deepen education when interest increases
- Pause when someone isn’t ready
This feels personal without being manual.
That’s where automation supports trust instead of replacing it.
The Hidden Benefit: You Close Better Fits
Hard selling closes anyone.
Pre-selling closes the right ones.
When people opt in fully informed:
- Retention improves
- Delivery gets easier
- Referrals increase
You don’t just close more deals.
You close better deals.
Final Thought: Selling Isn’t the Goal Alignment Is
I didn’t stop selling because selling doesn’t work.
I stopped selling hard because funnels sell better than pressure.
When your system educates, qualifies, and positions for you:
- Sales becomes calmer
- Growth becomes predictable
- Conversations become easier
That’s the power of pre-selling.
👉 Want your funnel to sell before you ever show up?
The Dual Funnel System is designed to pre-sell, qualify, and scale without pressure.
Explore the system here:
