Definition of "soft sell" [soft sell]

• Informal A subtly persuasive, low-pressure method of selling or advertising. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "It was a slick promotional ad designed to bring potential customers into the fitness center where the soft sell of the glossy brochure would morph into a solid sales pitch delivered by a hard-bodied recruiter."