How to balance free value and sales pitches in your marketing

One of the most common questions business owners ask is how to balance giving away free value with confidently asking for the sale—especially when promoting programs or services.

It’s natural to want to educate your audience, build trust, and prove your expertise while still growing your business. The key is finding the right balance, and a simple strategy to help is the 4:1 Rule.

Here’s how it works:

1. Focus on delivering 4x more value than you sell 💬

The idea is simple. For every 1 sales message you send, you should share 4 pieces of pure value. Think tutorials, free resources, blog posts, mini-trainings, quick wins, case studies—anything that educates, entertains, or helps your audience.

Note: You can certainly add soft sells to your free-value pieces, such as a P.S. in the bottom of your email reminding people to book a free consult call with you, but don’t make it the main point of your content. Focus on delivering value. 

 👉 The goal is to serve first, sell later.

2. Build trust and authority 🤝

People buy from people they trust. By leading with value, you position yourself as an expert who actually helps, not just another coach trying to make a sale.

👉 When people experience your expertise firsthand through your free content, they naturally trust you more—and trust leads to buying decisions.

3. Lower sales resistance 🚀

Nobody likes being pitched at all the time (not even you and me!). The 4:1 rule keeps your marketing from feeling like a constant infomercial.

👉 Instead, your sales offers feel like a natural next step because your audience already knows, likes, and trusts you. It’s the difference between pushing and pulling clients in.

4. A quick guide 🛠️

Let’s say you’re launching a group coaching program:

• First, send 4 valuable emails/posts:

  1. Share a quick win or tip.

  2. Tell a relatable story with a takeaway.

  3. Offer a free mini-guide.

  4. Share a client success story (without pitching).

  5. Then, on the 5th piece of content, you directly invite them to join your program

This way, you stay top of mind, build goodwill, and set the stage for easier conversions.

Link Love ❤️

Here are some resources to dive deeper into value-based marketing:
👉 Forbe’s take on the right way to sell without ‘selling’
👉 Hubspot’s 7 key principles of value-based selling
👉 How to use content marketing to build brand trust
👉 Try your free 14-day trial of Book Like A Boss!

That’s a Wrap 👊

Finding the balance between free content and making the sale doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game.

Follow the 4:1 rule—value, value, value, value, offer—and you’ll build deeper trust, stronger authority, and more sales over time.

You’ve got this!