Every once in-a-while we feel the need to nitpick. This is one of those times. Listed below are twenty-one phrases often used in sales. On the surface they are harmless. Below the surface (where it counts) they could cost you deals. The small things matter . . . and most of the time . . . all the things are small. Here are some little edges:
1. “Sorry to bother you.”
Two huge mistakes here: 1. An apology. 2. The insinuation that you are being interruptive. If you reach out for a good reason, there is no reason to apologize. “Sorry” creates an impression you are weak, when you should be projecting confidence and authority. If a prospect did not think you were bothering them before, they sure do now. If you ARE being interruptive – with nothing to offer, or you did not do your due diligence, no need to reach out.
2. “I’d like to connect.”
Why? Are you going to add value (sure hope so), or are you going to start Dumping the minute your prospect picks up (hope not)? Explain exactly what a prospect should expect to get out of the call to turn this bad phrase good.
3. “I thought you might be the right person to connect with.”
Anymore, there is no excuse for not knowing who the correct point of contact should be. Even a simple LinkedIn skim should tell you what a prospect’s responsibilities are.
4. “Could you direct me to the right point of contact?”
This request is usually the follow-up to #3. It is bad etiquette to ask your prospect for a favor because you have not done your job. I have not earned it yet. If you scour LinkedIn & actually cannot find anyone who fits your buyer persona, at least let a prospect know and make a specific ask. For example: A LinkedIn search came up empty. Who would be the correct person to reach out to about (your product/service). Could you connect us?
5. “Is it a good time to connect?” or “Did I catch you at a good time?”
Most everyone you will ever call will (at first) disagree with you. Remember, you just interrupted their day. It is a natural reflex to say NO. So, let them say NO. Ask instead, “Did I catch you at a bad time?” Different, but it works.
You will get to continue your call, so you’d better have a solid intro and something compelling to talk about.
6. “Can I tell you about … ?”
Nope, you cannot. Don’t ask permission to list features of your product. Instead, be so helpful that your prospect naturally wants to know more. If you have to ask whether it is okay to talk about your product, you have not provided enough value. Again, make it about them – not you.
7. “Just checking in … ”
Any communication you have with your prospects should have an objective, and “just checking in” is not good enough, period. At minimum, you should provide a reason for checking in. For example, if your prospect said they would get back to you by Monday, it is now Thursday, it is fine to send in a check-in email. But do not employ this phrase as a crutch when you do not have anything to talk about – it is a waste of your prospect’s time.
8. “I’d like to have an informational chat.”
What you (hopefully) meant: “Let’s have a discussion about your business & PAIN POINTS, so we can determine if we have a fit.” What your prospect heard: “I want to give you an elevator pitch.” Do not give a prospect the chance to assume the worst. Let them know your intent is to gather information from them, not shove it down their throats.
9. “Touching base.”
Do not know what is worse, “just checking in” or “touching base.” If you are not providing new information or following up with new information, there is really nothing for you to “touch base” about. If you have set strong Ground Rules & have established clear next steps, these two phrases disappear.
10. “I wanted to / I’d love to / I’d like to / I need …”
Any sales phrase that starts with what you want is a no-no. Stop saying “I.” Sales is not about you, it is about what you can do for your prospects & clients. So, take the focus off yourself & make sure that you are ending any sentence that starts with one of the above phrases with how you can help your prospect. Whenever a salesperson says something like this it is fair to ask, “Who gives a damn what you want?” Again, your prospects do not care about you. They care about themselves, their needs & their own agenda. Try rephrasing an “I’d like to” ask: My suggestion is that we discuss how (Your Company) has helped other (companies like theirs) who were struggling with (PAIN, PAIN, PAIN). Given you mentioned that as your main struggle the other day, should we start there?
11. “Are you the decision maker?”
This question is flat-out wrong! If your prospect is not the sole decision maker, you are going to make them uncomfortable (not important). Instead, ask “How do decisions like this get made & who is involved?”
12. “To be honest …”
This phrase sets off alarm bells for savvy buyers. Were you lying before? You have presumably been honest this entire time – why call it out now? Cut out this filler phrase ASAP if you want to retain credibility with prospects.
13. “Trust me.”
“Trust me” is almost as brutal as “To be honest.” Your prospects will trust you if you have proven yourself over time, not if you passive-aggressively tell them to. If you say this in response to a prospect question, it can also come off as condescending & evasive. Stay away from it.
14. “Do you have budget for this?” (too early)
While the budget question is certainly important, bringing it up too early can unnecessarily hurt you. Asking a company whether they have a budget for your offering early in the process, before you have differentiated yourself, is ill-advised. If they want to keep talking to you, they will say they do. If they do not want to keep talking to you, you just gave them an easy out by letting them say NO. You have also opened the door for premature negotiation –“You’re way too expensive compared to competitor X.’”
15. “It’s really easy to understand.”
You might be trying to reassure your prospect, but what you have really done is set yourself up to condescend to them. While you might think a concept or feature might be simple, a prospect who does not grasp it immediately and has been told it is “really easy” is going to feel stupid. Never assume a level of proficiency or make similar statements that have implicit judgment attached.
16. “That’s not what I meant.”
Do not ever be defensive. Many prospect objections are simply requests for information. The onus is on you, the salesperson, to persuade the buyer of something. If they do not understand what you have told them, you have not done your job. Saying, “That’s not what I meant” does not further your prospect’s understanding of … anything. It is just argumentative.
17. Jargon, Buzz Words or anything you are not 100% sure they know
“The ROI of our product is an average 25% increase in LTV and over 100% retention while decreasing CAC by 30-40%.” Huh? It makes you sound smart, but if they do not get it, they stop paying attention. Nobody wants to feel stupid. This is an easy way for them to say, “Let me think it over.” You no doubt are up to date with all the lingo, acronyms, & jargon that your industry uses, but do not ever assume your prospect knows what you are talking about. Not only that, relying on jargon & acronyms makes you sound robotic – not human. Cut the buzz words and use real words to explain what you mean.
18. “What if I said … ”
Want to avoid sounding like the stereotypical, sleazy salesperson? Do not say this. It is clearly manipulative since you are never going to use it to introduce a fact that is not true. Instead of being rhetorical, come straight out with whatever you want your prospect to know.
Before: “What if I said you could double your referral rate in six months?”
After: “87% of our clients double their referral rates in six months.”
Before: “What if I said your online reviews are costing you upward of $5,000 in business every week?”
After: “Based on our data, your online reviews are costing you upward of $5,000 in business every week.”
19.”So you’re not interested in (insert benefit of your product/service)?“
This is a classic sales line. Your prospect says, “We’re just not interested,” or “We don’t have a use case for it,” & you reply, “So, you’re not interested in tripling your revenue potential & reducing customer churn by 15%?” Of course, they are interested in those things. All you are doing now is being patronizing & spiteful. If you have made your case & they are still not interested, one of two things have happened. First, your prospect might really not be interested in or have a use for what you are selling. Second, you might not have done a great job of selling them on it, which means you should dive deep into call reviews & brush up your skills for next time, instead of trying to guilt your prospect.
20. “You should know X about (competitor) …“
Never bad-mouth a competitor. It is tempting, especially when a prospect shares information they received from a competitor you know is untrue. Instead of trashing them, “They lied to you, actually XYZ is true,” take a gentler approach – a subtle difference. Say, “Hmm, that’s interesting, I can see why that would be a concern, but actually (insert truthful information).” This moves the focus from the competitor & puts it on the truth. Once you clarify that your prospect understands and has no further questions or concerns on the subject, you can move forward.
21. “Actually, that’s not true.“
Similarly, when prospects develop their own wrong ideas about your product/service, which can be tough to swallow. If they make an incorrect claim in a meeting, avoid jumping in with, “Actually, that’s not true ….“
Instead, allow your prospect to finish, pause, and say, “So, what I’m hearing is, (repeat back what they said), is that correct?” If they say, “Yes,” follow up with, “Hopefully I can shed some light on this,” and continue with your explanation of how the product/service actually works. Salespeople get a bad reputation – no need to add to the stigma. Remove these expressions from your vocabulary & see how you continue to move deals forward.
