1. something that is difficult to sell or make popular:
• Cheap solar panels could be the answer to the power shortage, but they are proving to be a hard sell.
2. when someone uses a lot of pressure to get you to buy something or persuade you to do something:
• Securities firms are encouraging brokers to soften their hard sell and win back the clients' faith.
• Dealers are turning to hard sell tactics to convince customers to buy now.
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hard sell UK US noun [S] MARKETING
► something that is difficult to persuade people to do or try: »
Anyone in the publishing industry will tell you short stories are a hard sell.
► a forceful way of trying to persuade someone to buy or do something: »
I am shopping around for a new TV and being given the hard sell to buy an extended warranty.
Financial and business terms. 2012.