5 Bad Sales Phrases That Will Kill Your Pitch

A while ago, we shared a couple of sales words that help strengthen any pitch done by a salesperson. We also showed you how the language you use affects the way prospects perceive you and your offer.

In today's post, we want to talk about the opposite. We want to talk about words that you can use in your sales pitch, which would actually lead to an objection from the prospect. We'll show you some words and phrases that you may commonly use in sales presentations that leave prospects cold and kill your pitch, leading to a bad reputation.

And all this happens without you even knowing it!

As a sales rep, are you intrigued? Let's get right to it.

BONUS: Are you finding yourself using some of those lousy sales phrases over and over? We have prepared a list of replacements to use when presenting to prospects.

Grab it now and improve your sales process significantly!

Let's get into the meat of the article and talk about how to retain credibility with prospects by choosing the right words.

The first sales phrase to avoid is: "I've sold them…"

I'm sure you'll agree with me that Nothing works better in sales than offering solid proof. That's what they teach you in sales training, and it sounds logical. Showing prospects that you've successfully implemented your solution for another company provides the reassurance many people need before making a buying decision. 

However, blatantly stating that you've sold it to another company often has the opposite effect. For one, that statement that you've sold something to someone could generate a fearful or negative image in the prospect's mind. That's because, for many people, the word "sold" or "sell" could relate to a painful buying experience.

It's often the one where they were persuaded to buy something that they didn't need or where the purchase didn't work out for them in the end. As a result, clients immediately turn to their defense mechanisms to prevent a similar situation from happening. 

But could a single word cause such a negative response? As it turns out, the answer is yes. Take a look at what Andrew Newberg and Mark Robert Waldman, the authors of an incredible book, Words Can Change Your Brain, had to say,

"A single word has the power to influence the expression of genes that regulate physical and emotional stress."

And in another article, they added this.

"In fact, just seeing a list of negative words for a few seconds will make a highly anxious or depressed person feel worse, and the more you ruminate on them, the more you can actually damage key structures that regulate your memory, feelings, and emotions."

In other words, when presenting, you need to know which words to avoid. As you can see, there are some normal expressions from your vocabulary that you need to alter. 

Turn this bad phrase good by saying "Help" instead of "Sell," as it just sounds so much better.

The second sales phrase to avoid is "I want/I need..."

If you've been making cold calls and selling for quite some time, then we're sure you already know that selling isn't about you. If you want your pitch to stick, you should never talk about yourself or your company. Experienced sales pros know this. Instead, you should address your prospects' needs.

You are probably strictly following this rule, but salespeople have the tendency to focus on themselves unintentionally. They do this by using phrases like "I want," "I need," or "I'd like to."

Here are some examples.

• "I'd like to show the new update when it's live. Could we schedule a follow-up chat, then?"

• "We have a new update coming out soon, and I'd love to show it to you. Do you mind if I get in touch then?"

What is the problem here? Well, put simply, prospects don't care about what you want. Talking about what you want is a waste of your prospect's time. In fact, presenting the issue from your perspective only irritates them, particularly if you've been focusing on them for the entire pitch thus far. If you focus on yourself too much, you can also come off as condescending, and you want to avoid that at all costs.

The third sales phrase to avoid is "Does that make sense?"

Let's be clear about something here. Salespeople get a bad reputation because they ask questions that make people feel inexperienced or slow to understand. Nobody wants to feel like that, whether they are listening to a sales pitch or doing something else.

Even though your prospects might not fully follow what you're saying, they don't want you to patronize them and point that out. Immediately cut out this filler phrase from your sales pitch.

Prospects want you to treat them as equals. They want you to assume that they can easily follow everything you've been presenting. It is considered bad etiquette to ask, "Does that make sense?" It indicates that you might suspect they don't follow you properly, and as it turns out, this is an ineffective sales strategy.

NOTE: Another variation of this sales phrase is labeling a concept you've presented as "simple" or "really easy." Anyone who hasn't fully grasped what you've just explained, and hears that it's "really simple," will immediately question their abilities.

And, as we're sure you'll agree, this isn't the best state of mind for a decision maker on the phone with a salesperson.

The fourth sales phrase to avoid is "We can save you money."

Check out this quote from Bushra Azhar.

"When it comes to money, finding a dollar is way more attractive than the prospect of NOT losing a dollar. "

Yet, when selling, salespeople usually try to position their offer as a money-saver. They tend to say things like:

• "By implementing our product, your company can reduce IT expenses by X."

• "Using our product will save you X per month."

Admittedly, both of these sentences sound like great presentations of the benefits you are offering. After all, everyone wants to spend less, right? Why is this one of the sets of words you should avoid?

As Bushra points out, rephrasing them to sound as if a person will have more money, rather than spending less, will make the pitch more engaging. That's a neat little trick we learned in our years of experience in the sales profession.

The fifth sales phrase to avoid is "To be honest..."

Every salesperson is guilty of using one of the above phrases, but for this one, it's no contest. This one is used very often, and it shouldn't be. You can use this phrase in the hope of getting the other person to pay attention to your words more closely. However, it backfires every single time. You might think that you are using real words to explain a real problem, but you are actually well on your way to getting out of the call.

Using phrases like "to be perfectly honest with you…," "OK, but being honest…," "In truth…," etc. might seem innocent enough. They practically sound like a gentle interruption you throw in to catch a person's attention. However, to a listener, they may raise an alarm that you may have been lying up to this point. That's just how language works.

Focus on the Value of Your Words and You Will Be Golden

Which words should you avoid when talking to prospects? In this article, we have focused on the five common phrases that you can use by mistake as a salesperson. Eliminate them from your vocabulary when you start talking to prospects, and you will notice that your success numbers are improving. You can continue browsing through our blog here at Cirrus Insight, where we dive deep into call reviews, email marketing tactics, CRM tactics, and so much more. 

If you have any specific questions, feel free to contact us.