Selling doesn’t have to feel pushy, manipulative, or exhausting. Yet, for many solopreneurs and changemakers, the traditional sales advice we see out there often feels just like that. Red-covered books filled with tactics and psychological tricks dominate the market, and while they may work for some, for many of us they feel completely out of alignment.
For a long time, I thought, “Maybe I’m just not good at selling.” After all, every book and expert seemed to say there was only one right way. But deep down, it didn’t sit well. And here I am, twenty years later, still in business – so clearly, something was working. The truth? I was selling in my own way, even before I gave myself permission to do so.
That’s what I want to share with you today: how to sell with ease by aligning your sales approach to who you truly are. This isn’t about fixing yourself or trying to fit into someone else’s blueprint. It’s about discovering your own unique sales energy and letting that guide how you connect with the people who are meant to work with you.
From Selling That Feels Hard to Selling with Ease
Most of us are tired of being sold to. We’re tired of being manipulated, tricked, or pressured into decisions. And if we feel that way, it’s safe to assume our clients do too. The old sales paradigm is built on scarcity, fear, and persuasion. It assumes people aren’t smart enough to make their own decisions, which is not only untrue but also deeply disrespectful.
If you’re reading this, you probably work with conscious, courageous clients. You care about them. You care about the planet. You don’t want to treat people as “leads” to be funneled through a rigid system. And yet, when the only models we see are rooted in the old ways, it can feel almost impossible to imagine a different approach.
That’s where selling from within comes in. By aligning with your natural energy and strengths, you begin to create a Gentle Sales Path – one that feels nourishing for both you and your clients.
Marketing Before Selling
Before we even get to selling, there’s something essential to understand: marketing and selling are not the same thing. Marketing is about creating awareness and building trust. It’s about sending enough invitations into the world so that when you move into selling, you’re doing so with people who are already warm and curious about what you offer.
Without this foundation, selling can feel forced or uncomfortable because you’re trying to convince rather than connect. I dive deeper into this distinction in my blog post, The Difference Between Marketing & Selling, but the key idea is this: marketing opens the door, selling simply invites someone to walk through it. Make sure you have enough invitations out there so your sales conversations feel natural and easeful.
The Importance of Knowing Yourself in Selling
The first step to selling with ease is understanding yourself. There are many tools that can help you explore your natural style and gifts. Three of my favorites are:
1. The Enneagram
The Enneagram reveals core motivations, fears, and desires. For example, I’m a Type 4, often called The Individualist or The Romantic. This type values authenticity and uniqueness and has a deep sensitivity to the world around them. Knowing this explains why manipulative selling felt so wrong to me – and why connecting heart-to-heart is at the center of how I sell.
If you know your Enneagram type, explore what it might mean for your sales style. A Type 3 (The Achiever) might focus on results and progress, while a Type 9 (The Peacemaker) might emphasize harmony and understanding.
2. Myers-Briggs
Myers-Briggs helps us understand our personality preferences. I’m an INFJ – an introverted, intuitive, deeply feeling type. INFJs are natural guides and connectors, which explains why selling through empathy and trust comes so naturally to me.
If you know your type, consider how it shapes the way you naturally build relationships and communicate.
3. Human Design
Human Design is like a blueprint for your energy. It combines elements of astrology, the I Ching, and other systems to create a detailed map of how you’re wired. In Human Design, I’m a Generator with a 5/1 profile. This tells me I’m here to respond, not to chase. I thrive when I follow what lights me up and trust that the right opportunities will come.
Human Design also includes gates and channels that reveal more specific themes. For instance, one of my gates is the Gate of Shock. This means I’m here to bring surprise and transformation – which perfectly fits my mission to shake up the old marketing and sales paradigm.
>> if you’re curious about how to bring more of your Human Design into marketing and selling, you might also want to read this blog post called ‘How to market from your centers in Human Design‘
Why This Matters for Selling
When you understand your design, you stop fighting yourself. You no longer try to sell like the “bro marketers” or follow a script that feels fake. Instead, you:
- Lean into your natural strengths. If you’re a natural storyteller, tell stories. If you’re a natural listener, create space for deep conversations.
- Connect with ideal clients. When you show up authentically, you naturally attract people who resonate with you.
- Sell without burnout. Selling becomes a conversation, not a performance.
For me, aligning with my design means focusing on integrity and mastery. I connect deeply with my clients, respond to what feels right, and allow my authentic energy to guide the process.
Selling with Ease is a Gentle Sales Path
Selling with ease isn’t just good for you – it’s what the market is asking for. People are craving honesty, transparency, and real human connection. They don’t want to be forced or pressured. They want to be seen and heard.
By selling from who you are, you:
- Build trust naturally.
- Create lasting relationships instead of one-time transactions.
- Feel good about the way you do business.
It’s a win-win. You thrive. Your clients thrive. And you help shift business into a more humane, sustainable model.
Start Your Journey
If you’re ready to explore your unique sales energy, here are three simple steps:
- Take one assessment. Start with whichever tool calls to you – Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, or Human Design.
- Reflect on your natural style. How does this explain the way you connect with people? What feels easy and natural?
- Experiment. Bring more of YOU into your next sales conversation or email. Notice how it feels and how people respond.
If you’d like support with this, I offer Align & Apply Sessions, where we look at your Human Design and translate it into practical ways you can bring more of YOU into your business and your sales process.
And if you want to go even deeper, my program, How to Sell in 2026 & Beyond, is a 5-week journey to help changemakers like you sell with ease, authenticity, and integrity. Together, we’ll explore a new paradigm of selling rooted in resonance and co-creation rather than persuasion.
Selling with ease is about alignment, not perfection. It’s a practice of coming home to yourself and allowing your business to grow from that authentic place.
The 7Ps of Humane Marketing to Market Without Pain Points
The 7Ps of Humane Marketing and its 1-Page Humane Marketing Plan is a roadmap for Changemakers who want to market without pain points and sell without selling.
Rooted in reflection, they start with the P of Passion to think about our bigger WHY and then continue to help us figure our very own Personal Power: what’s our story?, how are we wired?, what are our values and our worldview? Picture this journey as an exploration of our vision, mission, values and the unique strengths we bring to the table. By intertwining Passion, Personal Power, People and Partnership with traditional elements like Product, Price, and Promotion, the 7Ps of Humane Marketing carve a path that not only resonates with our ideal clients but also amplifies the impact of our business.
It’s a holistic approach, where every marketing decision reflects the depth of our commitment, echoing the principles of a truly humane and conscious business.
>> Read more about the 7Ps of Humane Marketing.
>> Read more about Marketing for Changemakers
Other Resources You Might Enjoy
Blog post: Find Your People in Business: A Guide for Entrepreneurs
Blog post: I’m Struggling to Find My Niche – Here’s a Different Approach
Blog post: Unlocking the Power of Human Marketing: Strategies for Success
Blog post: Authentic Relationships: How to Be Human in Business
Podcasts
Podcast: Niching Down: But I have Several Ideal Clients
Podcast: Conversations about the 7Ps of Marketing with Penney Peirce, Clairvoyant (recorded in June 2020, when Humane Marketing was still called Gentle Marketing)
Podcast: The Humane Marketing Podcast, conversations with guests, organized around the 7Ps of Humane Marketing
Downloads
- The Humane Marketing Glossary: Humane Marketing Words we love
- Manifesto: The Humane Business Manifesto (no opt-in)
- Creed: The Humane Marketing Creed (no opt-in)
- The One-Page Marketing Plan (email opt-in)
Books
- Marketing Like We’re Human, Sarah Santacroce
- Selling Like We’re Human, Sarah Santacroce
- Business Like We’re Human, Sarah Santacroce
Sarah Santacroce is a Conscious Business Coach, author of Marketing Like We’re Human, Selling Like We’re Human, and Business Like We’re Human. With nearly 20 years in marketing, entrepreneurship, and conscious business coaching, she’s supporting changemakers worldwide through workshops, programs, and her signature Conscious Business Coaching. Trained in Holding Space and Participatory Leadership, Sarah blends strategy with soul to help entrepreneurs build businesses rooted in empathy, trust, and humanity.
Sarah has been a guest on nearly 100 podcasts and has been podcasting for almost 15 years. Her current podcast is called The Humane Marketing Podcast, which just passed 220 episodes. She also owns www.sarahsantacroce.com
👉 find out more about Conscious Business Coaching
👉 find out more about Conscious Business Marketing Coaching
👉 find out more about the Marketing Like We’re Human Group Program
👉 find out more about the How to Sell in 2026 & Beyond Group Program
