In a previous post Tap in to the Power of words to get more sales, we discussed how powerful words can be, and how to use them to get meaningful, efficient conversations with sales prospects. While introducing some effective words to your vocabulary will help progress a conversation, removing some is also a necessary exercise to do.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were talking to a new prospect, started to build a good rapport but a second later, suddenly ended up with no one on the other line? It’s happened to the best of us – no conversation is ever perfect whatever your experience or skills.
Here are the top 10 words our team has identified for you to ban from your vocabulary and avoid ever being in that situation again:
- ‘Don’t, No or Can’t’ - Using any negative words when you're referring to a product / service sends the wrong signal. Although your product/service may not tick all of your prospect’s boxes, it is important to focus on all the benefits that it can bring. And if there is no possibility that the product/solution can provide a crucial functionality then, there is no point in progressing further.
- ‘Honestly’ – Despite the positivity of this word, if used mid or near the end of a conversation tends to imply that everything you have said before isn't truthful. You may also sound desperate to prove your point and desperation doesn’t sell!
- ‘One stop shop’ or any similar marketing spiel – Messaging that has been published on your company’s website, social media, brochure is intended to be read by a prospect, and would have a completely different impact if reused in a conversation. Keep it simple and to the point; you only have a few seconds/minutes to speak to your contact, make it count!
- ‘Just’ – this is a common mistake that even the best people make at times. You know time counts so you want to show you won’t take too long (ie. I am just calling to…’), yet DO NOT USE THE WORD ‘JUST’! This will depreciate the purpose of your call/your messaging and ultimately tell your sales prospect that it is not that important that he speaks with you!
- ‘Assume’- the rule in selling is to never assume, even if you get to know your prospect very well. This can lead you to make the wrong assumptions and also sends the message to your prospect that you are not fully listening. However, it is ok to ask ‘can I assume x?’ as long as you are well engaged in the conversation and you are not doing it too much.
- ‘Like’ – this word is becoming more and more prominent in daily speech although most of the time it doesn’t have any meaning ie. ‘We provide a solution that helps companies maximise internal collaboration, like, from day 1’. Not only does it make the sentence heavier but it shows your prospect that you are not sure about what you are saying, you are looking for words…
- ‘Things’, ‘stuff’ – Same as above. These are unnecessary, it shows that you don’t know enough about your product/solution and are trying to make generalities. Remember: be specific and to the point.
- ‘Solution’ – You may wonder why this word is part of the list especially if you do sell technology solutions but on its own, this word loses all meaning. The purpose of a business is to provide a solution to a problem, hence the term being used and over-used. You need to explain what the solution does exactly so that there is no confusion in the prospect’s mind: your solution can make a difference!
- ‘Hope’ – Using this word definitely sounds like a cold call and sends the wrong message (desperation again!). By using more assertive – but not too pushy- expressions you will show signs of motivation and true interest. This is also valid for when speaking to reception, avoid ‘I was hoping to speak to X’ and instead use “could you please put me through to X?”.
- 'Would you be interested in?'- Although you do need to clearly find out whether there is a (true) interest, instead try and use something like “From what you have told me I believe that having a demo/conversation with our specialist would be very beneficial to you. What is your calendar like for week commencing xxx?”. If the prospect is ready to commit some time, this is a great start!
Remind yourself regularly to avoid using these words and see how your conversations are increasingly improving.
Share your insights and tell us what words you have banned from your lexical?
At Maven TM, we love talking to prospects, gathering crucial information that will help our clients progress sales opportunities and close more sales. We provide specialised B2B Telemarketing and Sales Lead Generation services to technology companies. With hundreds of sales lead generation campaigns completed successfully, Maven TM consistently helps companies achieve their sales strategy and stay close to their markets. For more information, please contact Maven TM at info@maventm.com
