One sure way to get a unanimous non-show of hands from a group of salespeople is to ask this question: “Let’s see a show of hands. How many of you, when you set your objectives for a customer meeting, have at the top of the list: ‘I want to come across to the customer like every other salesperson that customer met with in the last week?’
Truly, the very last thing every salesperson wants is to be like other salespeople. Can you name another profession where there is such a strong distaste for being like all of the others in the profession? I can’t! Doctors? Engineers? Accountants?
I asked this very question at a talk I gave a few months ago and received the predictable hands-folded-on-the-lap response. After the talk one of the attendees was trying to get my attention. He’d wanted to express his wild agreement with my message (he appeared to be fishing for affirmation).
“In fact,” he pointed out to me, “I always say to customers that ‘I don’t want to sell you anything’ so that I DON’T come across like other salespeople.”
The irony was too much for me, and I shared that with him. The very words he uses to separate himself from other salespeople unwittingly – and unfortunately – do just the opposite. They define him as the salesperson archetype!
Here is the question for all salespeople to ask themselves: “Is it possible to be viewed differently by customers if we sound like every other salesperson?” Whenever I pose the question to salespeople I get a unanimous “no,” and that’s good.
If you take differentiating yourself seriously, here are 10 phrases that, whether we like it or not, have the unintended consequence of defining us as stereotypical salespeople. Please note, for many of these, there isn’t a simple substitute phrase that doesn’t define us as salespeople. My recommendation to salespeople is to start by just avoiding these. You will develop alternates on your own that work.
“I’m not going to try to sell you anything!” No, you may not try to. However, salespeople have been saying this for generations, and the human race has evolved to associate it with untrustworthy salespeople (by the way, most people would consider “untrustworthy” a redundant adjective when associated with salespeople)
“The better we understand your needs the better job we can do of bringing you solutions.” Could there be two words more closely identified with salespeople than “needs” and “solutions?” So once again, guilty by association.
“Who else is involved in the decision?” Again, everyone says it. The other problem with this one is that it is hyper-transactional and displays a serious lack of organizational savvy.
“What do you look for in a supplier?” Has anyone ever asked this question and received a response that actually had any value to you?
“I’d like to sit down and get to know you a little better.” Nice intention. But it plays right into the tired belief that “people buy from people they like.”
“What role will price be playing in the decision?” This is another one that customers hear every day. It’s also a question that does nothing more than give the customer a chance to tell you how very important it is for you to lower your price. It is a counterproductive question.
“Appreciate the time. I’ll let you get back to work” Yet another good intention that backfires. Nothing reinforces the default master/servant relationship that has characterized customer/salesperson relationships since time began.
“What are your company’s objectives?” To their credit, many salespeople are trying more and more to gain a bigger picture view of their customers as a business, not just a potential buyer of their product. However, this question comes across stiff and sterile and yields very little substance in response.
“Did I catch you at a good time?” Not only does this one beg the response, “For what?” from anyone who is asked this question, it’s usually used as an opening to a cold call, where it is deadly because so many salespeople have used it over the years and the human race has coded a rejection response into their DNA to protect them from the “threat” associated with this phrase.
“Would you like us to quote that for you?” “Yes, and be sure to give us your best price!”
It’s unfortunate that the profession of selling has evolved as it has. But until the world changes its negative view of salespeople – which will not happen in our lifetimes – we will have to adjust our language if we want to differentiate ourselves.
