Last month I went on a girls trip and got the full passenger princess treatment. One girlfriend drove. Another booked the bed and breakfast and made all the dinner and wine tasting reservations. It was glorious.
That’s what I want your marketing to do for your customers: give them the passenger princess treatment.
The best part about being a passenger princess? Not having to make the decision. Your customers want that from you. You’re the expert. Show them you’ve got them.
The fewer decisions they have to make, the fewer questions they have to ask, the less friction they experience, and the more likely they are to convert. It’s a win-win.
Let’s use your website as an example
Imagine someone lands on your website and there are three calls to action, all the same size: a button, a phone number, and an email address. Everything looks equally important. They don’t know what to do. They have to decide (and we know how passenger princesses feel about making decisions).
So they sit there and think, Okay… do I fill out the form? Do I call? Do I email? When everything looks equally important, you know what people do? Nothing.
Instead, pick the ONE thing you want people to do and make it the obvious move. If it’s the form, make that the big button. The people who’d rather call or email will find your email or number. I promise.
What passenger princess marketing is NOT
Passenger princess marketing is not “whatever you want, no pressure, totally up to you!” That might seem easygoing, but it actually puts the work on your customer. And when that happens, they’ll do nothing.
The passenger princess treatment is the opposite. You’re the expert, so you take the lead:
- You make the recommendation. Not a menu of options. A clear “here’s what I’d do” or “this is the product or service you need.”
- You plan the next step. They never have to wonder what happens now.
- You take care of the details. You answer their questions before they have to ask.
They still get to choose. You just make the right choice the obvious one.
Brands that nail the passenger princess treatment
You already love brands that do this. You just might not have noticed why.
Trader Joe’s and Costco: curation is a service
Walk into a regular grocery store and there are 40 kinds of pasta sauce. Trader Joe’s and Costco carry far fewer products than a typical store, on purpose. Somebody already did the taste test for you. You grab the one jar and move on with your life.
That smaller selection is exactly why people trust their picks. Fewer options doesn’t feel limiting. It feels like relief.
Steal this: Trim your offer menu. If you have seven packages, you probably need three. Curation is part of what you’re selling.
In-N-Out: the short menu everybody knows by heart
Nobody stands in line at In-N-Out frozen by indecision. The menu is short, and almost everyone knows what they’re ordering before they reach the counter. It’s simple, it’s consistent, and it’s been working for decades.
Steal this: Three or fewer core offers, each with a clear “this is for you if…” so people can find themselves fast.
Apple: they know what you need before you do
Apple is the master. Every product page has one job and one big button. When you’re comparing models, they narrow it down to a few clear choices, not a wall of specs.
But here’s the part that really gets me. Apple knows what we need before we even know it exists. Nobody was asking for a phone without a keyboard, or for headphones with no wires. Then Apple showed us, and suddenly we had to have it.
That’s the passenger princess treatment at its highest level. They’re not asking, “What would you like?” They’re saying, “Trust us. This is what’s next.” And we do.
Steal this: You know your customers’ problems better than they do. Name the problem they haven’t put into words yet, then show them the solution. That’s what makes you the expert, not just another option.
Meal kits: dinner is handled
Meal kits like HelloFresh sell one feeling: you don’t have to think about dinner tonight. The recipe is chosen. The ingredients are measured. The steps are numbered. All you have to do is cook.
That’s the passenger princess promise in its purest form. They’re not really selling groceries. They’re selling the relief of not having to decide.
Steal this: Sell the relief, not just the deliverable. Your client isn’t buying a website or a strategy session. They’re buying the feeling of finally knowing what to do next.
The passenger princess marketing checklist
This goes way beyond your website. Walk through each area as your customer, not as the business owner. Anything you can’t check off is your to-do list. Pick the two or three that feel most overdue and start there. Take what works for you. Don’t worry about the rest.
Your message
- You can say who you help and what you help them do in one sentence.
- That sentence shows up on your website, your social bios, and your email signature.
- You lead with the problem your customer feels, not your list of services.
- You say who it’s NOT for. That’s a kindness. It tells the right people they’re home.
Your website
- Every key page has ONE main action, and it’s the biggest button on the page.
- The button says what happens next: “Book your free call,” not “Submit” or “Learn more.”
- Your phone and email are easy to find, but they aren’t competing with the main button.
- Every page ends with a clear next step. No dead ends.
Social media
- Your bio says who you help, what you do, and where to go next.
- Your link in bio goes to one clear place, with the main option at the top.
- Your posts share a point of view, not just tips. “Here’s what I’d do” beats “Here are 10 things you could try.”
- Most captions end with one specific next step.
- One email, one ask. If you want them to do four things, you’ve written four emails.
- New subscribers get a welcome that tells them what to expect and the best first step.
- You make recommendations: “If you only do one thing this month, do this.”
Your offers and pricing
- You have three or fewer core offers.
- You tell people where most clients start.
- Each offer says what’s included, what happens when, and what they walk away with.
- You answer the big hesitations (cost, time, “is this right for me?”) before anyone asks.
Inquiries and sales conversations
- Your reply to an inquiry includes the exact next step, usually a booking link.
- You offer two specific times or one link, instead of “let me know what works for you.”
- You end every call with your recommendation and what happens next.
After the yes
- New clients get a welcome that walks them through what happens next, step by step.
- They know who to contact, how, and how fast you’ll reply.
- You check in at the moments people usually get stuck, before they have to ask.
Steal these language swaps
| Instead of this | Try this |
|---|---|
| “Let me know what works for you.” | “I have Tuesday at 10 or Thursday at 2. Which is better?” |
| “Feel free to reach out anytime!” | “Book your free call here.” |
| “We offer lots of options.” | “Most people start here.” |
| “Whatever you’re comfortable with.” | “Here’s what I’d recommend, and why.” |
| “Call, email, or fill out the form!” | “Fill out this quick form and I’ll be in touch within one business day.” |
| “Here are 10 tips.” | “If you only do one thing, do this.” |
Lead them, and it’s an easy yes
Your customers don’t want more options from you. They want to feel taken care of. They want to know you understand what they need, and that you’ve already figured out how to get them there.
So look at your website, your next email, and your next social post, and ask one question: Is this giving the passenger princess treatment?
If not, start with one fix this week. Then come back for the next one.
Want an outside expert to walk through your marketing like your customer would? That’s exactly what a Pick My Brain session is for. Two focused hours, and you’ll leave knowing exactly what to do next. Passenger princess treatment included.
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