Disagreements come in more ways than just saying “no.” And if you are disagreeing with someone, you’ll never close the sale.
Agreement is vital and is the single most important and violated rule of selling! I’m not saying you should mislead the customer. There’s an art to telling the customer, “I’d love to make that happen to you,” rather than, “I can’t,” “I won’t” or “That’s not my job.”
Here are seven things not to say in sales or business:
1. “That’s not my department.”
You must take responsibility for everything, whether it’s in sales or your personal life. Don’t blame the economy, don’t blame other people, and don’t blame any external conditions, because blaming is something you do to become a slave.
The greats gave up the blame game long ago. They are big on accountability and responsibility to get the job done. If you are willing to take the credit when you win, be willing to take the credit when you lose.
2. “You can trust me.”
Have you ever noticed when a buyer isn’t fully listening to you? This occurs because the prospect assumes that since you are a salesperson they cannot trust you. The media constantly runs broadcasts of scams and cons that make consumers skeptical of salespeople. Losing credibility will add time and this lack of trust from the prospect will cost you sales.
Saying “trust me” to a prospect isn’t going to build trust and may even have the opposite effect. To properly handle your buyers trust you must understand that people believe what they see, not what they hear.
Always, always show written material to support your presentation or proposal. Make sure to use third-party materials when collecting facts for your customer that support what you’re saying — this adds external credibility to your claims. And you must write down everything you have said, offered, proposed, promised, suggested and implied during the proposal.
3. “I don’t use this myself.”
Others will never agree with you until you are convinced of the value yourself. If you’re working for an auto dealership and you aren’t driving the kind of cars you’re selling, you lose credibility and trust — and no one buys from someone they don’t trust.
Conviction will make or break you — and your sale is made only when your belief in your product, service or idea is stronger than your prospect’s objections. The moment they give up a bit of their conviction is the moment the sale becomes possible.
You must be in 100 percent completely and entirely before you can maximize your opportunities. Don’t even attempt selling someone else until you are completely sold yourself.
4. “It’s a company policy.”
Nobody ever wants to hear this, ever.
This is a perfect opportunity for you to practice the golden rule, because you know you hate hearing it. Nobody cares about a company policy, they care about the service they are provided, so don’t use it as a way to justify why you can’t, or won’t, do something for a customer.
If you have a policy that conflicts with the comfort of the client, either break it, don’t bring it up or come up with a solution before you propose a problem.
Sell the reason. Here are a few startup examples: “Sir, just wanted to let you know, this may not be the best place to…” Or, “Ma’am, I understand you don’t have a receipt and I want to help you with this. I can exchange it for you, would that help?”
5. “We’re competitive.”
The idea that “competition is healthy” is meant for consumers, not salespeople. Don’t compete — dominate.
When Steve Jobs wanted to get into cell phones, the people at Apple told him to stick to iPods and to leave the phone alone. The iPhone is still the single most popular smartphone on the planet. That’s how you dominate a space — you need to become an expert in your field. Use LinkedIn, Twitter, Google+, Facebook and any other means to be the first thing people see or think of when they look for your type of product or service.
6. “This might be out of your price range.”
Always treat the buyer as a buyer, because in sales anyone who believes they have the ability to pre-judge the ability of a buyer is costing themselves a fortune. I have been told in countless situations that there was no way this would be a sale, but because I treated the buyer like they could do a deal, guess what: they did!
Regardless of them saying they have no money, no budget, they don’t want to pay taxes, they aren’t the decision-maker, can’t, won’t — whatever they tell you, always treat the prospect like they can and will buy.
7. “I’m off today.”
You must always be open for business. Have you ever received an “out of office” auto-response when trying to contact someone? It’s so impersonal and drives me nuts! Never announce you are closed off to opportunities! You need to do whatever it takes to be open for business, no matter when, no matter what.
Look, I understand, I’m a father and a husband, and there are plenty of times I’m in 10X mode giving full attention to my family. However, business is still getting handled. Tweets and Facebook posts are going out and people who are trying to reach me have no idea I’m on the floor playing with my daughters or on a trip with my wife. I’m still always connected.
For more business tips, check our entrepreneurship section section and subscribe to our weekly newsletters.