Are you giving your sales team the right training?
Outside of your brand’s digital assets, your sales team is your customer base’s first interaction with your brand. Are they being given the right training to ensure that they’re delivering the brand experience you want them to?
I made, sat in on, and coached countless sales calls in my career, and I’ve learned exactly what you should and should not say if you want to convert a warm lead into a valued customer, and I’m here to talk to you today about seven things you should never say on a sales call. Let’s get into it!
“That’s not my department”
Oof. It makes me cringe just typing this one out. There’s a few reasons why you should never say “That’s not my department” on a sales call.
One, this particular phrasing can come off as dismissive to the person receiving it, and secondly, the subtext of this statement is that you don’t know enough about the business to be able to effectively handle a sales call.
What else should the client prospect assume you don’t know? They’ve probably already lost faith in you.
Of course, there will be times when you or your sales reps won’t know the answer to a question, but “That’s not my department” is never the answer. Try something like, “We have an in-house expert on that topic, and I want to run your question by them to give you the best answer possible” so that you can talk up the quality of the organization, your willingness to solve problems for them, and to establish another time to talk to them.
It’s a night and day difference.
“You can trust me”
Typically, the only people that say, “You can trust me” are people who should never, ever be trusted.
Trust is a real, “Show, don’t tell” process in business, and in life, and if your sales reps are resorting to this tactic on a call, it means that they haven’t been given the tools to communicate the value of your organization to your customers.
When you communicate your value in a way that resonates with people by showcasing to them how your products or services can help them overcome the challenges they’re facing on a day-to-day basis, then you don’t need to beg for trust.
Your sales teams should be armed with real data, case studies, and client testimonials to support your brand’s validity. Train them to tell emotionally driven, data-rich stories.
Do this and you’ll never have to beg for someone’s trust.
“I don’t use this myself”
How on earth do you sell something to people that you haven’t ever experienced? Your sales team should know every possible aspect of what they’re selling.
A huge part of selling is painting a picture that tells the end-user how much better their life or business is going to be after aligning with your brand. Sales needs to tell these stories from a perspective of experience.
Telling your prospects, “I don’t use this” implies a series of negative connotations, like that it’s a low-quality product, I don’t care about it, or that it’s not relevant, which can feel isolating for the person being sold to.
Providing your sales team with a living, breathing experience with what their selling is an absolute must.
“It’s a company policy”
Listen, if it’s a company policy, then there’s probably a good reason that you have it, but is there anything that’s going to shut down a conversation quicker than, “It’s a company policy?”
You or your sales rep is basically saying that you’re not willing to negotiate, you don’t have the power (meaning, the respect and authority) to negotiate, and that this person’s business isn’t important enough to you to see how you can work with or around the policy.
Maybe this business makes the policy unnecessary. Whatever the case, you’re showing your potential client that they’re business means something to you, and regardless of policy, you’re going to do all that you can to create a relationship with them.
“We’re competitive”
Sales people generally say things like, “We’re competitive” when the person they’re talking to is asking about pricing, and this is one of the weakest answers you could possibly give.
Why are you afraid to talk about price? The only reason that makes sense is that you know the value you provide doesn’t match your price point. Otherwise, it’s just bad training.
You should be motivated to talk about price, because discussing price is an opportunity to show value! So what if you’re priced a little higher than the competition? If you’re really worth it — if your team really delivers the goods in every aspect of what you do, then you should be fearless when discussing price.
Price is only ever an issue in the absence of value. Be value-rich in everything that you do.
“This might be out of your price range”
Let’s be clear about this: When you’re in the process of developing a new client relationship, you have absolutely no idea what someone is willing to pay. You don’t. Looks are deceiving. Industries are vastly different. And making an assumption about a business’s ability to make an investment only creates the potential for an unforgivable insult.
The potential client will tell you what is and isn’t out of their price range. It’s your responsibility to communicate the value of your brand, the outcomes others have experienced, and what’s possible for them when they do the same.
“I’m off today”
You’re “off today?” Then why did you take the call? Seriously, you’re better off just letting the call go to voicemail and setting up some time to talk later than if you were to take the call and tell them that “you’re off.”
Your customers don’t need to feel your personal life. The relationship you have is a business one. Don’t shatter the illusion of that by bringing them into your personal world, especially if you’re doing so by dismissing them.
Ready to learn more about sales, finance, marketing, operations, and more? Then join me and the Cardone Ventures team at our next event! These seats fill up quickly — register now to secure your exclusive spot!
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