These 5 words/phrases should be banned from every sales team.
Hit DELETE in your sales vocabulary.
1. Interested.
A more meaningless, nebulous, tell us nothing, divert from the real issues, ridiculous sales word has never been invented. “Let’s generate interest.” Let’s find out if they are interested.” “They are interested in the gizmo.” Does that tell us anything of substance that can be used to make better decisions to close a deal. NO!! It typically just masks ignorance of what is really going on and leads to wasted time.
Did they tell you they had a need? Share info of value? Describe a goal? Share their buying criteria? Tell you their decision making process? Agree to a substantive “next step?” Lots of things matter in selling. Whether they are “interested” isn’t one of them.
Ban that word.
2. I’m different.
This is the biggest “self-sabotaging” belief that talented, hard working, underpaid salespeople embrace that robs them of the income that those with less talent and drive are making. What “works” in prospecting and sales is no big mystery. The behaviors are open and obvious.
Many with average talent and drive get/stay very congruent with the behaviors of the top producers and make a lot of money. Many others, with superior talent and drive shoot themselves in the foot immediately with the “I’m different” rationale for not doing what works.
“That wouldn’t work for me because… I’m different, my industry is different, my customers are different, this city is different, this side of the street is different, my hairstyle is different….on and on.”
Just step up to the plate and admit that you don’t want to change, you’re lazy or you don’t really care about making more money, but don’t use the “I’m different” excuse.
Ban that phrase.
3. Ya, but.
Top performers always talk about behaviors, actions, words, scripts, which are the best to use in typical circumstances. They dwell in the high probability zone. That is what they think about. The best way to do things.
Lower performers are entranced by all the exceptions to the rules. Every time you mention a high probability behavior, a tried and true practice of the top sales high earning superstars, the first thing you hear from a never to be is “Ya, but….”
Stop focusing on all the exceptions to the rules. We are in sales, deal with people and crazy things happen around the edges. So what?
Stop mastering awareness of all the exceptions to the rules and start focusing and practicing high probability behaviors.
Ban that phrase.
4. Good meeting.
See #1 above. Interested. The clueless use this phrase a lot. Tells you nothing of value that relates to whether you will close or not. Typically masks ignorance of what is really going on.
Ban that phrase.
5. Proposal.
Yup. Proposal. Unfortunately too many salespeople think that a proposal is the goal. It isn’t. They use a proposal as an exploration to find out what the prospect will buy. Big mistake.
Change the mindset. A proposal should not be an exploration, it should be a CONFIRMATION. Of course, confirmation presupposes that key scenarios, terms, conditions, timelines and other stuff has been discussed and conceptual agreement has been reached.
Change the mindset from one of exploration to confirmation.
Think of a proposal as a “confirmation of understanding”. That assumes a certain foundation.
Ban that word.
Less is sometimes more. If you ban the above words and phrases from your sales vocabulary you will close more deals, and close them faster.
