Salespeople talk. Talking is necessary to connect with prospects. But when the conversation becomes garrulous, prospects immediately lose interest.
So, what would you do, if you have a habit of slipping off the wagon?
Catch hold of your tongue while uttering these 10 specific words while you pitch a prospect.
10 Specific Words to Avoid in Sales Pitches
Here are the top 10 rejection words in sales.
1. No prospect in using the word ‘prospects’
https://giphy.com/embed/7zJZgRRVrKfzo71lnR
via GIPHY
Yes, we know. Prospects are prospects.
But while talking to them, if you use the word ‘prospects’; they can never conceive of the status of being your clients.
Use –
- Would-be clients
- Future clients
- Would-be partners (for B2B) etc.
The idea is to help your prospects become your clients.
2. No ‘I’, but ‘you’
‘Can I offer you a suggestion?’
‘I want to talk to you about…’
You may want to help or build a connection with your prospects, but once you use the word ‘I’ and ‘my’, you don’t sound ‘helpful’.
Instead, use the word ‘you’, ‘your’.
The question you need to ask yourself before you make a sales call is – “What is in it for my prospects?”
If you begin thinking from their perspectives, stating ‘you’ instead of ‘I’ becomes easier.
3. No 'Problem'
There is a big problem with the word ‘problem’.
The word ‘problem’ has a negative connotation.
And if you use it, the prospects will go with their first impression and perceive you in the same light.
Instead, use the word ‘challenge’.
‘Challenge’ sounds more positive.
4. Hope, Think, Guess...
With these words to avoid in sales, there will be no hope for your sales pitch.
A remote sales rep that says “Umm..I hope this is the case” has already lost it.
It’s the same when you say “I think”, “I guess”, etc.
Don’t make that mistake.
When your prospect asks something or requests confirmation, be honest instead.
If you don’t know the answer immediately, take your time, and get back to them.
And be direct in your interaction.
5. No ‘objections’
There will be times when you need to deal with objections.
But while dealing with the objections, don’t ever use the word itself.
Rather mention the word ‘objection’ as the ‘area of improvement.’
It will keep you ahead in prospecting and will increase your chances of making the sale.
6. Avoid the word ‘guarantee’
If you ever eavesdrop on a sales rep talking to her prospect, you would hear a word repetitively –
“Guarantee.”
And this is the word you should never use while making a sales pitch.
Give your prospects more than that.
While talking to them, tell them that you empathize with how they feel (talk about their pain-points) and the possible solutions.
Once you build a rapport, schedule a call with the prospect.
Promising something grandeur at the first call is too good to be true for a prospect.
7. Don’t use ‘cost’
Because talking to you is an investment for a prospect.
And if he decides to buy the product you’re selling, it’s an investment too.
The word ‘cost’ is negative when it’s about asking your prospects to buy your products.
‘Cost’ is one of the rejection words in sales pitches.
Use ‘investment’ instead.
8. No ‘advice’ please!
We all have the habit of jumping to conclusions quickly and on an endnote, we add our sweet, little advice which no one bothers to pay heed to.
Well, don’t make that mistake during your sales pitch.
No.
Even don’t use the word ‘advice’ ever.
You can say ‘recommendation’ or ‘suggestion’ that too after taking the permission of your prospects.
Remember, it’s for them and not for you.
9. No ‘but’ business
‘But’ kills more business than anything else.
And it can even kill your sales pitch.
Because ‘but’ puts doubt into the mind of someone listening to you.
It creates a sense of fog while they listen to you.
So, don’t use ‘but’.
Try ‘and’ instead.
If you disagree with your prospects, tell them – “Yes, and..”, not “Yes, but”
This single change makes a huge difference.
10. ‘Honestly’ isn’t conveying honesty, really
Look at the headline of this section.
Adding a really makes the headline weak.
When you speak ‘honestly’, it does the same.
It weakens your statement.
It loses the value of your pitch.
So, don’t say –
“Honestly speaking…”
Now, let’s talk about Positive Sales Words
Positive sales words are the words that inspire, encourage, and persuade your prospects to take action.
And as it’s prudent to avoid using the above 10 rejection words in sales, it’s equally essential to include the following words in your sales pitch so that you stand out and close the sale.
Let’s look at these words and understand why they’re powerful –
1. Instant
Prospects love to gratify their desires immediately.
When you use the word ‘instant’ or ‘instantly’, your prospects get connected to their desire and persuasion becomes easy.
There’s no wonder why we are so habituated with the word ‘instant gratification’.
2. Now
It does the same job as using ‘instant’ does.
3. Brief
Use the word brief and keep your pitch brief. It will close more deals.
4. Best
Try to include the word ‘best’ in your pitch. Often what seems obvious needs to be uttered for everyone’s interest.
5. Easy
The word ‘easy’ makes the prospects feel that it will take almost no effort to fulfill their desires. So ‘easy’ rings good to them.
6. Because
According to a study done by Ellen Langer, it was found that when you use ‘because’, you are able to get a ‘yes’ to an explicit query.
7. Thank You
Don’t forget to say ‘thank you’ whenever you get an opportunity.
Conclusion
Words are powerful.
Words can either make or break a deal.
And at the same time, if you use positive sales words and avoid the improper ones, you’d be surprised to see how well you do in your sales pitch.
To improve your sales pitch and to watch your words, you can use an affordable tool like GetRafiki to analyze your sales calls and help you improve your sales calls.
As they say – Watch your words and you’re golden.
