Stop using these two letters in your sales prospecting
«If your organization needs help managing X, then Y is the perfect solution for you.»
Les deux lettres qui détruisent le discours commercial dans cette phrase sont "X" et "Y".
The word that weakens your question is "if." When salespeople say "if," they reveal two things:
- They don’t know something,
- and secondly, they will assume the answer and continue their sales pitch regardless of what the prospect says.
To revisit the above example: What would you do if the prospect doesn't need help managing X or doesn't realize they need help? They will ignore everything you say afterward.
Don’t let your message fall on deaf ears. Follow these recommendations to eliminate “if” from your vocabulary and effectively engage your prospects in your sales process.
Replace “if” with “when”
With prior research, you won’t have to make assumptions.
I recommend understanding the environment of your prospects, the roles of the individuals, and the companies you will be contacting.
I also recommend properly segmenting your database; generally, companies with similar profiles have the same needs.
Most of the information is available and free on the Internet.
Use this information to replace "if" with "when."
Before: " If your company..."
- "...needs a more sophisticated software"
- "...has more than 100 employees"
- "...needs help managing..."
After: "When your company..."
- "...faces such issues, our software can help you resolve them"
- "...grows to over 100 employees, we can assist you with..."
- "...uses a software that cannot solve a particular problem, our software can help you.".
A simple change in the phrasing signals to your prospects that you are aiming to solve their problems. This modification also transforms boring questions into effective and more persuasive arguments.
Ask open-ended questions
Some information is not available on the Internet, such as the specific needs of a particular company or the solutions used by that company.
In this case, ask open-ended questions to find the right information:
Example: If you say, “If your Marketing department is struggling to generate quality leads, Leads Provider can help because…”
The prospect might think, “Our Marketing department doesn’t have an issue in this area, so we don’t need Leads Provider.”
It’s more effective to ask an open-ended question and say, “What is the main issue your Marketing department is currently facing?”
Or, “How does your Marketing department go about generating Leads?”
Once you have the information, you can explain how Leads Provider generates high-quality Leads for them..
Questions like: “How does your company handle X?” or “Does your company encounter any issues in managing X or Z?”
These open-ended questions allow you to identify the specific problems your prospect faces, enabling you to proceed with explaining your solution.
Avoid referring to other companies
Other phrases used by some salespeople: "If you like product X, then you'll love our product."
You assume that you understand your prospect's business relationship with another company. This is unwise.
If your prospect has an excellent business relationship with that company, you won’t be able to convince them to make a change.
If your prospect has a negative business relationship, and you align yourself with that company, you will devalue your offer.
Rely solely on the merits of your product or service and explain its main features without referencing other products or services.
Think about how "I can help?"
Rhetorical questions like "What if I told you..." are perceived by prospects as coming from a dubious telemarketer.
You don't need to use these outdated phrases to close a sale. These phrases undermine your sales pitch.
Indeed, people can tell whether you care about solving their problems or not. Whether through phone calls, face-to-face interactions, written communication, or videos, they observe silently. If they sense that you care more about selling than helping them solve their problems, they will be wary of you. So stop pushing for sales.
How to have engaging phone conversations with your prospects? Help your prospects. Focus on solving their problems, not on making a sale.
Now you know why the word "if" ruins your sales pitch and how to avoid it. Any questions?