Christmas Special

DEFINITION OF 'SOFT SELL'

Advertising and sales practices denoted by subtle language and a non-aggressive technique. A soft sell is designed to avoid angering potential customers and pushing them away. Because soft selling is a low-pressure sales technique, it may not result in a sale the first time a product is presented.

Using a soft sell technique does not mean that a salesperson is passive; rather, this technique is designed to push a product without coming off as pushy. A salesperson may use a more conversational approach in order to allow the potential customer to relax. Just as with the hard sell, the soft sell requires a certain amount of energy on the part of the salesperson, since he or she has to maintain the customer's attention.

DEFINITION OF 'HARD SELL'

Advertising and sales practices denoted by aggressive or forceful language. A hard sell is designed to get a consumer to purchase a good or service in the short-term, rather than evaluate his or her options and potentially decide to wait on the purchase. It is considered a high-pressure technique.
Determining whether to use a hard sell technique versus a soft sell technique, in which a campaign is more subtle in the delivery of its message, may come down to the type of product being sold and the type of person it is being advertised to. A hard sell technique used to sell a car, for example, might focus on the limited availability of the particular model, how other people are waiting to purchase the vehicle and how prices might increase if the consumer walks off the lot.