Tuesday, February 26, 2008

How To Speak With A Client

This I learned in my 'Professional Selling' class. Certain words have a negative connotation. They trigger nefarious feelings in clients and can kill a presentation or a negotiation in an instant. Words/phrases either advance your sale or they don't. Some are highly effective. Choose ones with an emotional value.

Some words should be avoided at all costs and replaced with positive ones. Here are a few:

-cost/price replace with -total investment is/value
-contract -letter of agreement/forms/paperwork
-downpayment -initial investment
-pitch/spiel -presentation/i'd like to talk to you a few minutes
-deal -opportunity/special offer/added value
-sign -authorization/could you ok that for me?

John Harrington has put together a similar list.

I am starting to realize how crucial my choice of words are. Now that is a surefire way to increase my income. I'll let you know how that goes.

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