--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I would not have used the phrase \"I'm…" description: "\"I would not have used the phrase \"I'm selling you\" because even though that's exactly what you're doing, when you tell people you're doing it - or wors..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png" --- # I would not have used the phrase "I'm selling you" because… ![“I would not have used the phrase "I'm selling you" because even though that's exactly what you're doing, when you tell people you're doing it - or worse yet, when you tell people "I'm not here to sell you anything," they automatically assume that that's exactly what you are here to do.” quote by Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png) > “I would not have used the phrase "I'm selling you" because even though that's exactly what you're doing, when you tell people you're doing it - or worse yet, when you tell people "I'm not here to sell you anything," they automatically assume that that's exactly what you are here to do.” [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. People distrust claims of “no‑sell” because they perceive hidden motives, undermining trust. **In simple terms:** Saying you don’t sell makes people think you do. Key Takeaway Be transparent about intent. Themes trust communication perception Mood skeptical strategic Type advice marketing When to use this quote - product pitches - consultations - networking events - advertising campaigns Key Concepts psychology sales tactics Questions to Reflect On - How can you demonstrate genuine intent? - What evidence builds trust? A Different Perspective Transparency can be seen as a sales ploy itself. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Assuming](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [People Sell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people-sell-412789/) [Phrase Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrase-selling-6099494/) [Phrases](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phrases/) [Selling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling/) [Selling Exactly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/selling-exactly-2552853/) [Sells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sells/) [Tell People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tell-people/) [Used](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/used/) ## Related quotes > [“what a phone-sex salesman would be selling me exactly.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/graham-parke/what-a-phone-sex-salesman-would-be-selling-me-exactly/) [Graham Parke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/graham-parke/) > [People will sell you out for profit, that's just how people are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/koena-mitra/people-will-sell-you-out-for-profit-that-s-just-how-people-are/) [Koena Mitra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/koena-mitra/) > [It never ceases to amaze me that companies will spend thousands of hours and millions of dollars teaching people 'how to sell,' and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-gitomer/it-never-ceases-to-amaze-me-that-companies-will-spend-thousands-of/) [Jeffrey Gitomer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-gitomer/) > [Most people sell stock to pay taxes, but I didn't want to sell any stock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christie-hefner/most-people-sell-stock-to-pay-taxes-but-i-didn-t-want-to-sell-any/) [Christie Hefner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christie-hefner/) > [Nowadays people sell millions of records that can't sing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dee-snider/nowadays-people-sell-millions-of-records-that-can-t-sing/) [Dee Snider](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dee-snider/) > [Teaching young people to sell is a priceless gift.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seth-godin/teaching-young-people-to-sell-is-a-priceless-gift/) [Seth Godin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seth-godin/) > [“People who sell bolts and nuts and locomotives and frozen orange juice make billions, while the people who struggle to bring a little beauty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-who-sell-bolts-and-nuts-and-locomotives-and-frozen-orange/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Money is nice, but the world is full of things that people would never sell. Favors and obligation are worth far, far more.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/money-is-nice-but-the-world-is-full-of-things-that-people-would-never/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [Most furniture is not made for people - they are made for the people who sell them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laura-huxley/most-furniture-is-not-made-for-people-they-are-made-for-the-people/) [Laura Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laura-huxley/) > [So when these people sell out, even though they get fabulously rich, they're gypping themselves out of one of the potentially most rewarding experiences…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-jobs/so-when-these-people-sell-out-even-though-they-get-fabulously-rich/) [Steve Jobs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-jobs/) > [I didn't know it was even possible to sell humans. I thought people can only sell animals, chickens. But I didn't even know that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-yeon-mi/i-didn-t-know-it-was-even-possible-to-sell-humans-i-thought-people/) [Park Yeon-mi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-yeon-mi/) > [Truth is some people sell happiness while they don't taste any of it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nix-mae/truth-is-some-people-sell-happiness-while-they-don-t-taste-any-of-it/) [Nix Mae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nix-mae/) > [Most people sell their souls, and live with a good conscience on the proceeds.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/logan-pearsall-smith/most-people-sell-their-souls-and-live-with-a-good-conscience-on-the/) [Logan Pearsall Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/logan-pearsall-smith/) > [I need to reach a lot of people to sell records.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-crosby/i-need-to-reach-a-lot-of-people-to-sell-records/) [Jon Crosby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-crosby/) > [I'm having a reputation of being somebody who will not be crazy. Not descend to doing drugs and spending an enormous amount of money,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-craven/i-m-having-a-reputation-of-being-somebody-who-will-not-be-crazy-not/) [Wes Craven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-craven/) ## More by Frank Luntz > [The fundamental problem for Republicans when it comes to the environment is that whatever you say is viewed through the prism of suspicion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-fundamental-problem-for-republicans-when-it-comes-to-the/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [ There are about 50 or 60 recommendations \[in "Win"\] for how to communicate, not just the words themselves. All of them had to be… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/there-are-about-50-or-60-recommendations-in-win-for-how-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [With all due respect to UPS - it's a fine company - nobody cares about logistics. They care about that package arriving at their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/with-all-due-respect-to-ups-it-s-a-fine-company-nobody-cares-about/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [People like me have to have the discipline only to work for clients, corporations, political people, products, services, networks that we believe in and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/people-like-me-have-to-have-the-discipline-only-to-work-for-clients/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Ideology and communication more often than not run into each other rather than complement each other. Principle and communication work together. Ideology and communication…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/ideology-and-communication-more-often-than-not-run-into-each-other/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > ["Win" is about the specific use of specific words to connect you to your employer or employees, politicians to voters - and frankly, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/win-is-about-the-specific-use-of-specific-words-to-connect-you-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [We as Americans and as humans have very selective hearing and very selective memory. We only hear what we want to hear and disregard…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/we-as-americans-and-as-humans-have-very-selective-hearing-and-very/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [I don't understand why people whose entire lives or their corporate success depends on communication, and yet they are led on occasion by CEOs…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-don-t-understand-why-people-whose-entire-lives-or-their-corporate/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Most voters would rather have their purse or wallet stolen than be audited by the IRS.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/most-voters-would-rather-have-their-purse-or-wallet-stolen-than-be/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [When I wrote "Win," it only took about eight months, but eight months of sheer pain and suffering because every phrase that's in there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/when-i-wrote-win-it-only-took-about-eight-months-but-eight-months-of/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The perfect opening is the word imagine, because imagine allows you to communicate in the eyes and the vision of the listener rather than…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-perfect-opening-is-the-word-imagine-because-imagine-allows-you-to/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Traditional market researchers are cold and calculating and scientific.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/traditional-market-researchers-are-cold-and-calculating-and-scientific/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [In fact, in more cases than not, when we are rational, we're actually unhappy. Emotion is good; passion is good. Being into what we're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/in-fact-in-more-cases-than-not-when-we-are-rational-we-re-actually/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [The Republicans are mad at Donald Trump, and the Democrats are mad at Hillary Clinton. And the Bernie Sanders people are mad at everybody.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/the-republicans-are-mad-at-donald-trump-and-the-democrats-are-mad-at/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Eighty percent of our life is emotion, and only 20 percent is intellect. I am much more interested in how you feel than how…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/eighty-percent-of-our-life-is-emotion-and-only-20-percent-is/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) [Explore all 105 Frank Luntz quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) ## More Assuming quotes > [Some books are not read in the right way because they have skipped a stage of opinion, assume a crystallization of information in society…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-lessing/some-books-are-not-read-in-the-right-way-because-they-have-skipped-a/) [Doris Lessing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-lessing/) > [Our young Marines of today are courageous, willing to make sacrifices, and are marvelous team players. I am confident our Corps, and indeed our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-t-conway/our-young-marines-of-today-are-courageous-willing-to-make-sacrifices/) [James T. Conway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-t-conway/) > [Everyone assumes writers spend their time lounging around, writing and occasionally striking a pose whilst having a think.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-sheridan/everyone-assumes-writers-spend-their-time-lounging-around-writing-and/) [Sara Sheridan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-sheridan/) > [Islam never differentiates between men and women as regards political rights and puts them on an equal footing. However, even if a woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yusuf-al-qaradawi/islam-never-differentiates-between-men-and-women-as-regards-political/) [Yusuf al-Qaradawi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yusuf-al-qaradawi/) > [Whatever your conscious mind assumes and believes to be true, your subconscious mind will accept and bring to pass. Believe in good fortune, divine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-murphy/whatever-your-conscious-mind-assumes-and-believes-to-be-true-your/) [Joseph Murphy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-murphy/) > [Assuming normal winter weather, we currently anticipate the coal markets to remain difficult through 2015; while we always strive to operate a full capacity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-craft/assuming-normal-winter-weather-we-currently-anticipate-the-coal/) [Joe Craft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-craft/) > [A state of mind is something that one assumes. It cannot be purchased, it must be created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/a-state-of-mind-is-something-that-one-assumes-it-cannot-be-purchased/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [One must believe that every living thing whatsoever must change insensibly in its organization and in its form... One must therefore never expect to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-baptiste-lamarck/one-must-believe-that-every-living-thing-whatsoever-must-change/) [Jean-Baptiste Lamarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-baptiste-lamarck/) > [I think the biggest problem working with me would be that I'm an only child, and so I have an internal dialogue that goes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maynard-james-keenan/i-think-the-biggest-problem-working-with-me-would-be-that-i-m-an-only/) [Maynard James Keenan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maynard-james-keenan/) > [It is worth noticing that those who assume an imposing demeanor and seek to pass themselves off for something beyond what they are, are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-whately/it-is-worth-noticing-that-those-who-assume-an-imposing-demeanor-and/) [Richard Whately](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-whately/) > [People just assume that if you're famous, you're in Hollywood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/megan-fox/people-just-assume-that-if-you-re-famous-you-re-in-hollywood/) [Megan Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/megan-fox/) > [The behavior of any bureaucratic organization can best be understood by assuming that it is controlled by a secret cabal of its enemies.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-conquest/the-behavior-of-any-bureaucratic-organization-can-best-be-understood/) [Robert Conquest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-conquest/) > [Humans suffer from self-centred notions as to the nature of life. 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Chesterton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-k-chesterton/) [Browse all 2,452 Assuming quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/assuming/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I would not have used the phrase \"I'm selling you\" because even though that's exactly what you're doing, when you tell people you're doing it - or worse yet, when you tell people \"I'm not here to sell you anything,\" they automatically assume that that's exactly what you are here to do.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Frank Luntz" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-selling-you-because-even-though/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Assuming" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-selling-you-because-even-though/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cbd/frank-luntz-4874_assuming_i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-sel_3228851.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I would not have used the phrase \"I'm selling you\" because even though that's exactly what you're doing…” — Frank Luntz", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Frank Luntz", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I would not have used the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-selling-you-because-even-though/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/i-would-not-have-used-the-phrase-i-m-selling-you-because-even-though/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```