When What You Sell Isn't Sexy (But is SO Needed)

By Angela Greaser, CoFounder of The Prosper Network 

Let’s talk about the unsexy stuff.

The hard-to-sell, hard-to-explain, hard-to-market offers.
The services people need but don’t always want to buy.

You know what we mean:

• Trauma recovery work

• Estate planning

• Bookkeeping & taxes

• HR policies and procedures

• Process documentation

• Any kind of therapy

These are offers that ask people to slow down, face discomfort, or deal with something they’ve been avoiding. They don’t come wrapped in glossy Instagram bows. They don’t promise "$10K in 10 days."

But they do hold people together. They do build stability, healing, and long-term success.

And if you’re someone doing this deeper, necessary work?
You're not doing it wrong if it feels harder to sell.

You’re just playing a different game.

The Truth About Unsexy Offers

Most marketing advice centers on selling wants, not needs. It’s easier to sell dream vacations and business retreats than policy manuals or therapy sessions.

But let’s zoom out for a second.

• 62% of Americans say they’re overwhelmed by financial stress, yet less than a third work with a financial planner or bookkeeper. [Source: CNBC, 2023]

• Nearly 70% of small businesses lack documented HR processes, leaving them vulnerable to legal risks and culture collapse. [Source: Score.org, 2024]

• Only 33% of Americans have an estate plan, despite 100% of us eventually needing one. [Source: Caring.com, 2024]

The point? Your offer isn’t irrelevant—it’s avoided. And avoided things are harder to sell. Not because they aren’t valuable. But because people are afraid.

Three Reminders to Help You Sell the Unsexy Stuff

1. You’re not selling the thing. You’re selling what the thing makes possible.

Nobody wakes up craving a trauma session.
They’re chasing peace in their body.
Nobody wants to spend money on process documentation.
They want time back and trust in their systems.

Lead with the outcome, not the offer.

2. Your offer is not a luxury. It’s a lifeline.

When people hesitate, it’s not a reflection of your value. It’s fear.
Fear of facing something big. Fear of spending on something intangible. Fear of change.

Your clarity cuts through that fear.

Say the hard thing plainly.
Speak directly. People are starving for truth right now.

3. Resistance doesn’t mean unreadiness.

If your audience is hesitating, don’t assume they’re not ready.
Hesitation often means they are ready—but they need support to move.

Normalize that resistance. Let them know it’s safe to take the next step.

If It Feels Hard, It Doesn’t Mean You’re Failing

If you’re not getting traction, or your offer feels harder to sell than it should, it doesn’t mean your work doesn’t matter.

It likely means your message isn’t meeting your mission.
And that is fixable.

That’s why we created The Prosper Network—a space designed specifically for business owners like you doing the deep, essential, “unsexy” work that holds the world together.

Inside The Prosper Network, you’ll find a community of peers who get it and are willing to be active participants in your clarity and expansion. This is where you come to get seen, get supported, and get connected—without compromising your integrity or watering down your work.

Learn more and join us at www.theprospernetwork.org

We can’t wait to welcome you in.