7 Phrases You Cant Say in Sales

7 Phrases You Can't Say in Sales

(Because They Will Undermine Your Credibility

and Drop Your Closing Rate)

Copyright 2004 by Doug Smart

Years ago, George Carlin listed seven words you can't say on television. Then HBO came along, said all the words, and the world of television changed forever. Now, I know that even before you read the seven no-no phrases in sales, you might be tempted to think, oh, whatever these are they will eventually become acceptable, too.

There are two big problems with this reasoning.

1. Television has been around for about sixty years so it is still a youngster experiencing growing pains; sales started way back when the inventor of the wheel made a few extras to sell to friends.

2. The seven sales phrases are already being said by salespeople and they are delivering decidedly mediocre results. They live on because veteran salespeople say them and novice salespeople ape them. The cycle continues.

The big challenge with these words is that they undermine the credibility of salespeople and they encourage defensive barriers to spring up in the minds of the prospective buyers. Talk about salespeople shooting themselves in the foot! These phrases either degrade what could be a great sale down to a pedestrian transaction or they scare off buyers. And worse, less experienced salespeople think they are supposed to say these phrases in order to entice buyers. Here is a word to my sales colleagues: No matter whether you are selling products, services, and/or ideas, avoid using these phrases! They will make buyers distrust you.

As you read these seven, think of yourself as a buyer not a salesperson. (Did you ever stop to consider that over the course of your life you will most likely buy more products and services than you will sell?) As a buyer, imagine you are in situation in which a salesperson has recently made your acquaintance. Test your gut reaction. Do any of these seven make you want to buy ? or do they make you want to run?

Here are the seven deadly phrases in sales. Actually, one of these is a pair of words, not a phrase. But all of these leave the same unpleasant after-taste as one bad word.

Trust me. Instructing people to trust a salesperson is pretty much like setting up a too-familiar joke whose punch line is going to be "you are an idiot so just give me lots of your money now." The pairing of trust and me signals buyers to put up their defense shields and turn on their BS filters (for Better Sense, of course). Trust is one of the two concepts that the more somebody asks for it, the more elusive it becomes. Trust ? like love ? cannot be requested effectively. Although it is plentiful, it has to be earned to be genuine. And besides, it is the buyer's prerogative to decide whom to trust, when, and how much. Asking for trust will actually hinder the salesperson from getting it. (P.S."Believe me when I say?" is in the same league.)

I'm your friend. It is tempting for a salesperson to think a buyer is a new friend after the two share fifteen minutes excitedly discussing a mutual experience or passion. This happens, for example, when both share an obsession for golf and both once played the course at Pebble Beach in their youth. However, too many salespeople mistake rapport for friendship. The two are not the same. Friendship requires an emotional investment and real commitment. Friendship takes time, energy, and some sacrifice. Friendliness is a great way to ease any tensions in the sales process but over-friendliness can raise resentment in buyers' minds.

Nobody can sell this cheaper than me. Nobody? First off, the world is a big place with a lot of others selling things a lot like what other salespeople have. If the salesperson really has the world's lowest price on something and can do business both legally and profitably, instead of wasting time one-on-one with prospects, he or she should put up a website and rake in the dough. And second, the problem with bragging about being cheapest (besides triggering buyers' skepticism) is that it is a lousy way to make a profit. A more satisfactory approach is to show the value of the product, service, or idea. Value takes into account integrity, experience, service, reliability, trustworthiness, uniqueness, desirability, return, and how the buyer will be better for buying. Promoting value ahead of price is a rock-solid strategy for long-term success.

We are the best! Okay, maybe there are a few situations in which this is credible. And I am not opposed to the power of positive thinking as a confidence builder. But the truth is buyers have learned that ninety-nine percent of the salespeople who say it are lying. A phrase like this turns on their BS filter. Best, like beauty, is in the eye of the buyer ? not the salesperson.

Always and never. This pair stands on the same quicksand as "We are the best." They sound like exaggerations and are frequently perceived as stretching the truth. For example, how truthful do these two statements sound? "We always provide quality service." "Our delivery drivers are never late." Many people simply don't take always and never at face value. A few years ago I did a series of training programs for engineers from several Miller Brewing locations. I asked each to write the words always and never. Then I asked each to express as a percentage what the words meant. As you would expect, some saw always as a one hundred percent occurrence and never as zero percent. But the unforgettable thing was that twenty-five percent saw them as somewhere in between. To many, always and never were so abused they became synonymous with frequently and occasionally. For example, "I never lie" was readily perceived as a lie and was reinterpreted to mean "I occasionally lie."

What you need is... This is actually a great phrase after high levels of rapport and trust have been developed. But even then this is pretty presumptuous on the part of the salesperson because he is not the one who has to live with the purchase. Just a few days ago a salesperson, with whom there was not much rapport or trust, told me "What you need is this computer." That may have been so, but the salesperson did not ask questions -- so he knew little about me, my situation, or what I wanted to accomplish. I didn't care what he thought I needed. I listened, learned a few things, walked out the store, and bought one elsewhere. (See number one.)

This is perfect for everyone. This is another statement that is hard to accept as true (Is H&R Block perfect for everyone?). Before adding this one to the list I tried hard to think of one commercial product or service that really is perfect for everyone. The closest I could get was bottled water. But then I thought, "If the brand of bottled water you sell is indeed perfect for everyone, why do you have competition? Doesn't the mere existence of stiff competition indicate that for some buyers other brands are more perfect for them?" Okay, you don't sell bottled water. But re-read the above substituting your stuff for bottled water.

Some other phrases, such as "The check is in the mail," undermine rather than build. No matter how well intentioned, when salespeople use these seven phrases, and related phrases, buyers hear something that is questionable. This can cause buyers to react protectively and be selective about what they choose to believe. That results in fewer closed sales. A smart strategy for salespeople is to steer clear of these seven toxic phrases.

Doug Smart helps select, develop, and retain exceptional sales managers and salespeople who are passionate about thier work. He is the author of "Grow Your Sales by Selling Smarter Not Harder." He is a consultant and speaker who has presented 2,000 paid presentations around the world. For a free subscription to "Grow Your Sales" eNewsletter click on www.GrowYourSales.org.

---

Sales Prospects Avoiding You?

This issue's topic on sales prospects comes in response to... Read More

Why Sales People Are Creating Their Own Objections

I'm about to reveal the biggest secret to growing any... Read More

Boost Buyer Confidence By Assuming The Sale

I saw something in town the other day that just... Read More

Three Essential Questions You Must Ask To Make More Sales ? Ignore Them At Your Peril

There's loads of material about making money available on the... Read More

10 Killer Ways To Multiply Your Sales

Would you like to multiply your web site sales? Or... Read More

How To Write Sales Letters That Deliver

Tired of sending out sales letters that generate anemic response?... Read More

5 Powerful Tips To Persuasion!

Having excellent persuasion skills is one of the most important... Read More

The Changing Role of the Sales Consultant

"Leadership rests not only on outstanding ability. It also rests... Read More

8 Must Questions to Ask in Every Sales Situation

Solving people's and organization's problems is ultimately what business is... Read More

Make More Sales By Airing Your Dirty Laundry

There's an old saying, "Don't air your dirty laundry".If you're... Read More

Sales Lessons from Bob Vila

There's more to what he does than meets the eyeWith... Read More

Really WINNING Over Customers

Three qualities are needed to sell anything in life. They... Read More

Resistance Training for Sales People

What was the quickest rejection you ever got? 2 minutes... Read More

Cross-selling for Increased Sales, Profits, and Customer Satisfaction

Cross-selling - the art of selling for non-salespeopleCross-selling is the... Read More

Increase Your Selling Confidence

1. Be on time. In fact, arrive a few minutes... Read More

Sales 101

For many individuals in business the hardest part is selling.... Read More

Top 7 Psychological Triggers For Unlimited Sales

Did you know that there are specific psychological triggers you... Read More

Do You Have to Be Aggressive to Make Sales?

A few weeks ago I was onsite at a company... Read More

Catapult Your Business?How to Get Customers to Chase You Instead of the Other Way Around

I was thinking about the statement:The Small Business Administration tells... Read More

Nine Competencies of the Complete Sales Professional

Have you ever tried to explain to someone what you... Read More

Success Secrets Of A Famous Vacuum Salesperson

I have to admit, I have an 'addiction'.Sometimes this addiction... Read More

3 Steps To Immediately Increase Sales

Want to increase sales within your company? It's not as... Read More

How To Master the Art of Super Salesmanship

Mastering the "art of selling" is simply knowing how to... Read More

The Business of Closing the Sale Without Killing It

You must be able to coordinate your sales talk to... Read More

Sales and the Law of Attraction

I'm about to challenge your belief system, or at least... Read More

4 Reasons Why the Sale is Not Made

When sales are down, a salesperson must begin to take... Read More

The Makings of a Salesman

Salesmanship is the force that moves business. Without it all... Read More

Sell Yourself - Sell Anything!

Each of us sells every single day. We are all... Read More

Getting People to Buy Without Selling

In my youth I landed a job selling encyclopedias door... Read More

Theres a Referral for Everyone

I worked for years as a mortgage loan officer. During... Read More

Dont Close Your Eyes Or Let Deaf Ears Fall Upon You

To listen to your customer is important, and to hear... Read More

Cutting Through Stalls and Objections

It's the prospect. If stalls and objections frequently come up... Read More

3 Ways To Overcome Pricing Challenges

How many times have you had a customer say to... Read More