Teaching Is the New Selling

The Long History of Selling

Selling is an art form as old as time. Ever since the first product existed—or ever since the first problem was recognized and a solution exchanged for monetary value—we’ve had the concept of selling.

Throughout the years, this has taken many forms: advertising, door-to-door sales, cold calling. The tactics and techniques for trying to sell a product or service are nearly endless.

But as selling methods multiplied, so did people’s resistance to them. Just like the human body develops an immunity to disease, buyers developed an immunity to sales tactics. Not that I want to compare selling or marketing to a disease—but some might find the comparison apt.

The main point is this: selling doesn’t have to be unpleasant. It shouldn’t feel bad for the person being sold to, nor for the person doing the selling.

Sales and Marketing: Hand in Hand

There is, of course, a blurring of lines between sales and marketing. Selling is the act of actually getting somebody to buy. Marketing is moving somebody into that position or state. Both are necessary. You need sales so that you actually sell the product or service, and you need marketing so that people know it exists.

Part of the reason “sales” leaves such a bad taste is that for so long—think used-car lots, door-to-door salesmen, or those dinner-time phone calls—sales has been selfish. It’s about the salesperson’s quota, commission, or boss’s approval, not about the person on the other end.

But sales doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, it shouldn’t. Many techniques considered “sleazy” are sleazy only because they’re used to sell something of little or no genuine value to the buyer.

Why “If You Build It, They Will Come” Is a Myth

There’s that old saying—immortalized in Field of Dreams—“If you build it, they will come.” That is not true for your product, service, or online course.

You can’t just build something and expect customers to show up. You need to tell people about it. But there are ways to do this that transcend traditional selling.

One of the best? Teaching.

Teaching as Sales

In my opinion, there is no better sales process than teaching. Why? Because in many cases, it isn’t a sales process at all. It’s an educational process.

I’ve written before about my issues with traditional education—especially the flawed notion that memorization equals learning. It doesn’t. But when it comes to sales, educating your potential customer or client is one of the most powerful things you can do.

And I don’t mean rattling off the features of your widget. I mean educating them so they understand:

• Why they’re experiencing the problem your product or service solves.
• How your product or service uniquely solves that problem.

You can do this without ever once mentioning your product or service. In fact, often it’s better that way.

Example: Coaching Services

Let’s say you offer coaching or consulting to help businesses get more customers.

Why are you qualified to offer that service? Because you’re knowledgeable. You’ve studied, you’ve worked in the field, you’ve seen results. That knowledge has value.

So what’s the best way for someone to see the unique value of your methodology? Teach.

Too often, business owners are stingy with their hard-earned knowledge. It makes sense—you don’t want competitors downloading your PDF, copying your tips, and repurposing them. But the truth is, you’re far more likely to win over customers by educating them than by hoarding knowledge.

And if you’re the one doing the educating, why not do it thoroughly, with excellence?

Beyond PDFs and White Papers

For years, the standard way to “teach” in sales was the PDF giveaway:

• A landing page with an opt-in form.
• A free guide or “Top 10 Tips.”
• An email drip campaign afterward.

It’s not a bad technique. But it’s limited. The value you can deliver in a PDF or white paper is minimal.

What if, instead of a PDF, you offered an online course?

The Power of Video Education

Imagine this: instead of reading a list of tips, your prospect watches a series of videos. They see your face. They hear your voice. They see testimonials, slides, animations. They feel a personal connection to you—even if you’ve never spoken directly.

That’s the power of video. It’s why people spend hours on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram Reels but rarely read PDFs.

Now combine that with the depth of an online course: a structured series of lessons that thoroughly educate your potential customer about the problem and its solution.

Two Outcomes of Teaching

At the end of your course, your prospect is in one of two places:

1. They have the roadmap. They could do it themselves, but most will think, “Can’t you just do this for me?”
2. They know they need help. They’re convinced they need the problem solved—and since you’re the one who educated them, you’re the obvious person to hire.

So imagine this: at the end of your course, as the final lesson closes, a big button appears—“Hire me for consulting services.” It links to a landing page with your photo, testimonials, and a payment button.

That’s not a sales pitch. That’s a natural next step in a relationship built on value and trust.

Serving, Not Selling

Even if someone doesn’t click that button right away, you’ve still delivered real, lasting value. You’ve made an impact. And when the time comes that they do need help, they’ll remember you—your voice, your face, your teaching.

Can you sell access to an online course directly? Of course, and I encourage that if people are willing to pay. But if you offer a service—especially one that requires your expertise—I’d argue there’s no better way to sell than by teaching.

In fact, the people best at selling aren’t selling at all. They’re educating. More than that, they’re serving. Teaching is part of serving. And the act of becoming a client is simply the final step in that service.

That’s why the old way of selling is broken. Teaching is the way of the future.