Alex Edson
Regular Contributor
Throughout my career, I've made thousands of sales calls and have had the unique opportunity to train nearly 2 dozen sales professionals (most of which are now millionaires today).
I've seen every mistake you can make ...
And in my experience, these are the top 5 phrases that kill trust in sales.
Avoid these like the plague!
#1): “Honestly, …” or “In all honesty, …”
This phrase implies that you’ve been dishonest and subsequently destroys trust and rapport that you’ve established with your prospect.
It also begs the prospect to ask the question;
“Wait, everything you previously said wasn’t in all honesty?”
#2): “As far as I know, …”
Imagine boarding an airplane and having your captain announce over the plane’s speakers:
“The plane is fueled and the cabin is pressurized … as far as I know.”
(I don’t know about you, but I’m getting the heck off that plane!)
The phrase “as far as I know”, breeds uncertainty in the mind of your prospect.
And when your prospect feels that you are uncertain about your product or service, you dramatically reduce the odds of closing your sale.
For instance, you would (hopefully) never say to a prospect:
“The product has a 30-day refund policy, as far as I know.”
Instead, you would simply say: “The product has a 30-day refund policy.”
To sell more, show certainty.
#3): “I’m pretty sure …”
At the end of the day, people buy from you because they trust you.
And trust is only developed through certainty.
As mentioned above, your prospect must feel 100% certain that you know what you’re talking about.
When you are certain about what you are selling — when you know that what you represent is the best and that your product or service can help the other person — you’ll feel energy and confidence in every fiber of your body.
“I remind myself that clients and customers buy the salesperson
as much as they buy the product.” — Robert Herjavec
Ask yourself, which of the below phrases will help you sell more?
A: “I’m pretty sure our widget is the best for you.”
B: “I know that our widget is the best for you.”
Obviously, the clear winner is option B!
#4): “To the best of my recollection …”
Again, this phrase creates immediate distrust because it indicates you’re uncertain.
When you’re uncertain about what you’re selling,
your prospect will be uncertain about buying!
#5): “To tell you the truth, …”
Just like the phrase “In all honesty, …”, you’re implying that everything you’ve said prior to this point hasn’t been completely truthful.
These are the 5 phrases that kill trust in sales! Use them at your own peril!
[This post originally appeared on our company's blog].
I've seen every mistake you can make ...
And in my experience, these are the top 5 phrases that kill trust in sales.
Avoid these like the plague!
#1): “Honestly, …” or “In all honesty, …”
This phrase implies that you’ve been dishonest and subsequently destroys trust and rapport that you’ve established with your prospect.
It also begs the prospect to ask the question;
“Wait, everything you previously said wasn’t in all honesty?”
#2): “As far as I know, …”
Imagine boarding an airplane and having your captain announce over the plane’s speakers:
“The plane is fueled and the cabin is pressurized … as far as I know.”
(I don’t know about you, but I’m getting the heck off that plane!)
The phrase “as far as I know”, breeds uncertainty in the mind of your prospect.
And when your prospect feels that you are uncertain about your product or service, you dramatically reduce the odds of closing your sale.
For instance, you would (hopefully) never say to a prospect:
“The product has a 30-day refund policy, as far as I know.”
Instead, you would simply say: “The product has a 30-day refund policy.”
To sell more, show certainty.
#3): “I’m pretty sure …”
At the end of the day, people buy from you because they trust you.
And trust is only developed through certainty.
As mentioned above, your prospect must feel 100% certain that you know what you’re talking about.
When you are certain about what you are selling — when you know that what you represent is the best and that your product or service can help the other person — you’ll feel energy and confidence in every fiber of your body.
“I remind myself that clients and customers buy the salesperson
as much as they buy the product.” — Robert Herjavec
Ask yourself, which of the below phrases will help you sell more?
A: “I’m pretty sure our widget is the best for you.”
B: “I know that our widget is the best for you.”
Obviously, the clear winner is option B!
#4): “To the best of my recollection …”
Again, this phrase creates immediate distrust because it indicates you’re uncertain.
When you’re uncertain about what you’re selling,
your prospect will be uncertain about buying!
#5): “To tell you the truth, …”
Just like the phrase “In all honesty, …”, you’re implying that everything you’ve said prior to this point hasn’t been completely truthful.
These are the 5 phrases that kill trust in sales! Use them at your own peril!
[This post originally appeared on our company's blog].
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