The language of sales has always been rich with metaphors in terms of how we describe the process of selling. While some phrases such as "driving sales" or "winning the deal" might conjure up visions of a high stakes game where fame and fortune is only a roll of the dice away not all the metaphoric language we commonly use create such visions. In fact, I could make the case that the phrases above might make my next list because they reflect a "win/lose" relationship versus "win/win." Let's take a look at 5 words we should absolutely STOP using to describe the selling process.
Mark Twain had a great quote, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.” With that in mind, here are the top five commonly used words which should be stricken from the vocabulary of sales professionals.
1. PROBE - In sales parlance it is generally used to describe the process of uncovering a potential customer’s needs or “pain”. Webster’s dictionary defines a probe as “a slender surgical instrument used for exploring the depth and direction of a wound.” I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t sound like much fun to me! Decide your own alternative but just about any word would be preferable.
2. COLD CALL - (OK, technically this is two words) In the world of sales, we generally use this phrase to define the process of making calls to prospects we haven’t met. I have to wonder if the term better describes our own feelings about actually MAKING prospecting calls. If that is the case, perhaps we are inflicting a self-fulfilling prophecy. Finding new sources of business is the most important function of many sales jobs, so let’s call this something else. How about saying introductory calls, marketing calls, prospecting calls, or anything a bit less frigid. Cold calling sounds like something The Terminator might do!
3. OBJECTION - This is one of my personal favorites. Usually followed by a phrase such as objection handling, it couldn’t sound more clinical or impersonal. Webster’s defines objections as “a feeling of dislike, disapproval, or disagreement.” Many prospects will avoid saying what’s really on their mind just to avoid the objection handling process altogether because we have taught them what an unpleasant experience objection handling can become. At Sandler Training we never use the term objection because we don’t employ an objection handling model in our process. If you insist on handling customer resistance please at least call it something different!
4. PITCH - Most commonly used in a sales reference as the act of presenting a proposal to a potential customer, it is a word best left to describing the act of erecting a tent. Not just any tent, but a carnival tent; because pitching something is what I would expect from a carnival barker, not a sales professional. The literal definition of the word is “to throw, hurl, fling, or toss.” The last time I hurled a sales proposal, it rightfully ended up in the trash can! How about something more professional to describe such an important part of the selling process?
5. CLOSE – Closing is a very common term typically used in a sales reference as the act of asking for, and getting, the business after a sales presentation. The dictionary describes close as : “to put (something) in a position to obstruct an entrance, opening, etc.” I don’t know about you, but I am not too comfortable using a word with a technical definition like that to define the act of asking a potential business partner to enter into a relationship. We aren’t closing anything. In fact, we are opening a mutually beneficial business relationship! How about some terminology that reflects the reality of securing new business?
There you have it. My “Five Least Wanted List” of sales terminology. I could go on, but I think you get the point. Selling is hard. It isn’t made any easier when the words we commonly associate with the process create conflicting or negative imagery.
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