We live in a cynical world. Salespeople have helped create that world, by using
words and phrases in ways that trigger suspicion, create mistrust and sabotage sales.
Many of these words and phrases are part of traditional and popular sales techniques
that are intended to create trust and "build rapport” but actually do the opposite.
You may not even realize that you are using these words and phrases in a way that
negatively affects your communication and your business.
Here are four of the most common ones:
"Interested"
Interested is the word that salespeople use when they don't want to hear "No." Interested
is the word that prospects use when they don't want to say "Yes." There is no commitment
associated with interest.
Interested people are gathering information. Interested people are not ready to
buy. Selling to them when they are merely interested is usually a frustrating waste
of your time and energy. Also, experience shows that it virtually guarantees that
when they are ready to buy, they won’t buy from you.
Interested indicates an opportunity for marketing, not sales.
"Honestly" or "To Tell the Truth"
People pay more attention to what you do than what you say. They have learned that
when a salesperson says they are going to be honest, they are likely to do the opposite.
When it comes to honesty, don’t say it. Be it.
"Just" or "Only"
"I just wanted to let you know…" or "Just fifteen minutes of your time." What does
the word "just" imply in sales situations? It communicates that you seem to be trivializing
your communication in order to disarm the prospect. You're minimizing the importance
of your products and services, and your own time. If someone is a real prospect
for your product or service, it's an important priority.
"Thank You"
While gratitude in a business situation is often warranted, "Thank You" is one of
the most over-used and abused phrases spoken by salespeople. There is no need to
thank prospects for their time and attention. Repeatedly thanking prospects and
customers implies a subservient, begging, position, which will cause a loss of respect
for you.
If you say thank you when no real value is received, then you will be seen as being
insincere and phony. That impression will sabotage your credibility, mutual respect
and lose business.
In High Probability Selling, we have a list of more than 30 of these words and phrases.
We train salespeople to become aware of, and then either eliminate them or radically
change how they use them.
People want to do business with people they can trust and respect. They will try
to avoid doing business with anyone who arouses suspicion. The words you choose
and the way you use them make all the difference.
Jacques Werth is president of High Probability Selling, a sales process consulting
company founded in 1989. The company has trained salespeople in over 60 industries;
its selling system is based on personal observations of the sales practices of hundreds
of top salespeople. The system is described and demonstrated in the book High Probability
Selling. Call 800-394-7762 or visit
www.highprobsell.com.