Business Talk
Four awful phrases that will cost you sales
In this article, leading sales expert, Andy Preston, explains four awful phrases that most salespeople use, and why they will cost them (and you) business going forwards.
W
sales process, and often cost them sales. Here are four typical ones you need to avoid using (but appear to be in ‘common’ use in most sales teams).
Awful phrase No.1 – “I’m your new account manager” Situation – When you’ve just taken over an account from a colleague, who may also have just left the business. Why it’s bad – The effect your words have on the client. They
hear something like ‘the last guy was crap so we fired him’ or ‘our company isn’t very good so lots of people leave’ (especially if the last person wasn’t the only account manager they’ve had. Or even worse ‘I’m new here, haven’t a clue what I’m doing,
and your account is going to be the one I learn and practice on!’ Can you imagine the impact on the client, and what they’re thinking when they hear those words?!!! Awful! Even worse (and I hear people doing this far too often) is using this phrase when the ‘customer’ you’re calling has never spent any money with you. That’s right. They’re not a customer. They are a prospect. So when they hear you say ‘I’m your new account manager’, the impact of that is ‘well it hasn’t been managed very well, as we’ve not got any account with you and have never spent any money with you!’ Often closely followed with ‘and we’ve got a supplier we’re happy with for that anyway!’ Why would you be so stupid as to walk into all of that stuff,
and a strong objection as well? Yet still I hear a lot of people doing it.
Awful phrase No.2 – “I’m just calling” Situation – Making an outbound sales call. Why it’s bad – You’re just’ calling? No you’re not! You’re not
just doing anything. In this circumstance it’s a downgrading word. It downgrades
your call in the mind of the prospect (or the client), and downgrades your own credibility. In this situation, it takes your call from being positioned as important and valuable, and reduces it to unimportant, an interruption and about as valuable as market research. Why would you want to start your call by giving the recipient extra motivation to want to get rid of you?
Awful phrase No.3 – “Thank you for the opportunity to quote” Situation – Client/prospect has just asked you to quote them. Why it’s bad – This is awful. Truly awful. Your positioning on
this is terrible. Are your seriously thanking someone for asking you to give a quote? This is the problem with all the customer service stuff that’s been spouted over the last few years. ‘The Customer Is King’ and ‘The Customer Is Always Right’. I’m in agreement that we need to give people good service, but when it comes to sales there is a difference between service and subservience.
| 98 | February 2016
henever I’m listening to salespeople on the phones (or face-to-face) they often use phrases that cause them problems in the
You want to be perceived as an equal by the client. Not
more important than them. Not less important than them. As an equal. When prospects and clients perceive you as an equal, it changes the way they treat you. Generally speaking, they respect your opinion more, they ask your advice more, they tell you more and are more honest with you. All things that would help us make more sales. When you are subservient to a client, you typically lose
control of the sales process, get beaten up on price, you waste lots of time running around after them, and then not getting the sale anyway. Using this phrase so early in the sales process will count against you afterwards. It ruins your positioning and the prospect/client’s opinion of you. Don’t do it.
Awful phrase No. 4 – “How are you today?” Situation – On an outbound sales call. Why it’s bad – This is my pet hate. It’s probably the worst thing you can say as the introduction to a sales call, but many people still say it, and even worse, are trained to say it. Terrible. And the colder the call is, the worse it is. Now if you’re making a call to someone where you have the
level of rapport to say ‘John, how are you doing? How are the kids? And how was your weekend?’, you’ve obviously making a call to someone you know extremely well, and have a very high level of rapport with, so that circumstance is exempt from this. When however, as many people do, if you’re using this on a
call where you don’t know someone that well at all (or even worse, on a cold call) this will cause you major problems. It comes across as fake. Insincere. And a cheap attempt at trying to gain rapport with someone that you hardly know. And it will cause you big problems. Stop it. Now. Follow the tips above and watch your sales soar. I look forward to hearing how you get on.
www.printwearandpromotion.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100