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“Double your revenue overnight.” “10 clients in 10 days, guaranteed!” Promises like these grab attention because they sell certainty. They tap directly into people’s aspirations and desire for control over the chaos of running a business.

Today, we’re breaking down big promises—the kind that set impossible expectations, leave clients feeling duped, and can even shake their self-worth.

We’ll dig into why they work at the moment, how they backfire in the long run, and what you can do instead to sell effectively without overhyping.

Are you ready to skip the ick?

Big promises are everywhere, wrapped in flashy headlines and bold guarantees. Think things like:

It’s the marketing equivalent of catfishing—looks flashy, reels you in, and then leaves you wondering where it all went wrong.

But even if we know those click-bait headlines are just that: click-bait, they still lure us in. Why?

It’s all thanks to two parts of your brain that love to argue: the one that says, I’m special, and the one that says, I’m just like everyone else.

The “I’m special” part is optimism bias. It’s the belief that you’ll beat the odds. Sure, not everyone can pull that off, but I totally can.

The “I’m just like everyone else” part is uncertainty reduction. When you’re not sure what to do, you look at others for reassurance. Testimonials or “500+ happy clients” tell your brain, If it worked for them, it’ll work for me too.

This push-pull between feeling special and wanting proof creates the perfect storm for big promises to hook you. And when it comes from a so-called expert? Game over – you’re sold.

But cracks start to show when those big claims don’t deliver.

Instead of building excitement, they leave your clients wondering why your so-called proven tactic didn’t work for them. And that belief doesn’t just shake your audience’s confidence – it can stick with them. Now your business is the reason they feel worse.

Not exactly the legacy you’re going for, right?

Then there’s the legal side.

Marketing isn’t just fun rhymes or hypotheticals. Results like ‘10 clients in 10 days’ or ‘double your revenue overnight’ need to be the typical experience your clients have.

And if it’s not? You’re opening the door to lawsuits, fines, or public backlash.

The solution isn’t to shy away from talking about results—it’s to talk about them with transparency and context. Here’s how:

  1. Tell the whole story: If a client hit $50k, what did it take to get there? Where did they start? How long did it take? The details show the reality—the work, the effort, and the late-night what-the-hell-am-I-doing moments that made it happen.
  2. Break down your process: Don’t make success seem like magic. Share your approach, the speed bumps, and the work. When your audience sees what’s involved, they’ll get that results don’t just fall from the sky.
  3. Don’t fake testimonials: It should go without saying, but here we are. Inventing reviews? Not cute. If your clients haven’t said it, don’t claim they did.

When you ditch the big promises, you’re not just avoiding a legal disaster—you’re bringing in the people who get that results don’t happen with a snap of your fingers.

The kind who leave testimonials so good, you’ll want to slap them on a billboard.

So, the next time you’re about to promise “instant results,” ask yourself: Am I making a promise I can actually keep, or just tossing out some empty hype? Because remember, marketing that feels good works even better.

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