Stop Before You Publish Your Coaching Sales Page
If you’ve ever built a sales page for your coaching program, you already know: it can feel like a full-time job. Crafting the hook, layering the benefits, writing out the FAQs, gathering testimonials, choosing images — it’s a lot.
Now add this: many of the “standard” sales page tactics the coaching industry teaches are not just pushy… they’re illegal.
As a long-practicing lawyer (since 2008) and lawyer friend to coaches (since 2015), I’ve had to go back and fix my own sales pages as the law has evolved. In this post, I’ll walk you through what needs to change on your sales page so you’re not accidentally using illegal selling tactics — and so you can build a brand that clients love to trust.
Why Sales Page Tactics Are Under More Scrutiny Now
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regulates the promises we make to consumers. In recent years, they’ve issued clear guidance and enforcement actions about online marketing, income claims, health claims, fake urgency, and misleading testimonials.
At the same time, sales tools have gotten more sophisticated. AI-generated funnels, templates, and copy are now pumping out:
- Fake testimonials
- Exaggerated “value stacks”
- Misleading urgency and pricing
For example, ClickFunnels recently launched a new AI tool that I personally experienced to auto-generating fake testimonials and inflated “total value” statements, dropping them onto beautifully designed pages.
So while it’s easier than ever to spin up a sales page, it’s also easier than ever to unknowingly cross legal lines.
Truthful, Accurate, and Not Misleading
The core rule for your sales page is simple:
Your marketing must be truthful, accurate, and not misleading.
“Not misleading” is where many coaching sales pages get into trouble. Even if a statement is technically true, it can still mislead if:
- Key facts are omitted
- Context is missing
- The overall impression conflicts with what’s actually delivered
This is especially important for:
- Earnings claims
- Health and weight loss claims
- Future-pacing (“imagine your new life when…”)
- Screenshots of big wins without context
Whenever you feel yourself thinking, “Well, technically that’s true…”, that’s your cue to revise.
Why Your Sales Page Matters in Chargeback Disputes
Most coaching disputes never go to court. They go through payment processors and banks via chargebacks.
Here’s how it usually looks:
- A client feels the program “wasn’t what they expected.”
- They ask you for a refund. You point to your no-refund policy.
- They file a chargeback with their bank anyway.
- The bank reviews what was promised — and they look at your sales page, not just your contract.
If your sales page paints a picture of a specific outcome (fame, features in major outlets, $10K months) but your program is actually mindset coaching or general support, the bank employee reviewing that claim will likely side with the client.
Your contract still matters, and there are ways to re-focus a dispute onto the legal agreement. But your sales page sets the expectations. If it over-promises or misleads, you’re negotiating from a weaker position.
Disclaimers Cannot Contradict Your Sales Page
Many coaches add a disclaimer at the bottom of their sales page that says things like:
- “Results are not guaranteed.”
- “Everyone’s results will vary.”
Disclaimers are important and useful — but they cannot contradict what you’ve said in big, bold print.
For example:
- Big headline: “You will make your $10,000 back in 90 days.”
- Fine print disclaimer: “We can’t guarantee any specific earnings.”
Those two messages conflict. A proper disclaimer should clarify, not cancel out, your promises.
A better approach might be:
- On the sales page: “Past participants have gone on to earn back their investment within 90 days. Here are a few of their stories.”
- In the disclaimer: an explanation that those participants brought specific resources, experience, or momentum to the table, and that results are not typical or guaranteed.
That way, you’re transparent about what contributed to those results, and you’re not implying that every buyer will get the same outcome.
Be Careful With Numbers: Earnings, Weight Loss, and Health Claims
Numbers are where coaches get into the most trouble. This includes:
- “$10K months in 90 days”
- “Lose 20 pounds in 6 weeks”
- “Lower your blood sugar to X level”
- “Book 30 discovery calls in 30 days”
The law doesn’t completely ban numerical promises, but it requires a high level of proof and context most solo coaches don’t have the infrastructure to provide.
A safer and often more compelling approach is to focus on qualitative outcomes, such as:
- Increased confidence in making offers
- Feeling in control of food choices
- Improved energy and quality of life
- Better boundaries and more peaceful relationships
- Clarity on a repeatable sales process
People are willing to invest in real, meaningful improvements in their quality of life. You don’t need risky numeric claims to make a powerful case for your program.
Fake Urgency and Fake Pricing Are Illegal
Urgency works — and that’s why marketers love it. But urgency and discount language must be real.
Fake urgency examples include:
- Evergreen pages with countdown timers that reset every time someone visits
- “Cart closes tonight” when it doesn’t actually close
- “Only 3 spots left” when you’ll happily take 30
Fake pricing examples include:
- “Normally $5,000, today only $997” when you never actually sell it for $5,000
- “One-time-only offer” that appears in every funnel or email sequence
- “You’ll never see this price again” when you plan to offer it again on Black Friday
If a consumer would have made a different decision had they known the truth, the tactic is likely illegal.
You can still use urgency ethically when it’s real, such as:
- A live round that genuinely starts on a specific date
- A cohort with a true capacity limit
- Founders’ pricing that you legitimately raise and don’t repeat
The key is: your urgency and pricing claims must be accurate and honest.
A Quick Checklist Before You Publish Your Sales Page
Before you hit publish, run your page through this lens:
- Are all promises truthful, accurate, and not misleading?
- Is anything “technically true” but likely to confuse or mislead a reasonable reader?
- Do disclaimers clarify rather than contradict bold promises?
- Are you focusing more on quality of life outcomes than specific numerical guarantees?
- Is your urgency real — or manufactured?
- Is your “original price” a number you have actually used in the real world?
If you can clean up these areas, you’ll dramatically reduce legal risk and chargeback headaches — and attract more aligned, satisfied clients.
What’s Next: Cleaning Up Value Stacks and “Total Program Value”
One of the most famous tactics on coaching sales pages is the “value stack”:
“Total value: $50,000 — but today, you get it for $1,000.”
That topic deserves its own deep dive, including when this structure is misleading or illegal, and how to talk about value in a way that’s honest and still persuasive.
Watch for the next video and post in this series, where we’ll break down value stacks, bonuses, and social proof — and how to present them legally and ethically.
Get Your Legal Foundations in Place
Sales page compliance is one piece of your legal system. You also need:
- A solid privacy policy
- Website terms and disclaimer
- A clear client agreement
- Proper refund and billing terms
If you want help getting those in place quickly, check out Legal in a Weekend, my free course that walks you through the core legal steps to sell your first or next coaching program confidently
