Buzzwords Can Kill Your Sale

Let me guess…your company is the leading provider of quality solutions with a commitment to excellence and an unmatched track record for success that is second to none! How was I able to come to that conclusion? In a competitive marketplace, everyone claims to be the best with some modified version of the same ‘elevator pitch.’ 

Most industries are full of buzzwords–issues and benefits that any salesperson who is worth their salt should know inside and out. But, what you really want to know are the implications of these issues and benefits. Ask yourself, "why" might an issue like ‘quality’ be important to a prospective customer?

The truth is, there could easily be 10 reasons why quality might matter to the customer. It’s also likely that different people within the account have varying priorities that might give them very different perspectives on the same topic–in this case, quality.

BTW, why might reliability be important…, or experience, or security? There’s got to be ten (or more) reasons why any of these might be relevant topics to different types of customers. 

Focusing on a bunch of high-level buzzwords is usually the quickest way that a salesperson can commoditize their value proposition. Instead, try talking way beyond the standard industry buzzwords, in order to understand the specific implications that are really driving the need. After all is said and done, it’s more than likely that these same implications will ultimately justify the decision.