The article “What Verbal Tics May Be Saying About Us” that ran in yesterday’s Wall Street Journal highlights a really important point for anyone who sells or presents big ticket products or services. The “Tics” the article notes are phrases that you are totally unaware of that can torpedo your message and kill a potential business relationship. Here are examples of phrases from the article and I have added individual words that I see people in my seminars and coaching use that are equally deadly.
From The WSJ: Hedging Phrases
- Don’t take this the wrong way, but… The motivation for this may be to help, but when you begin a thought that way, the ONLY way someone is going to take it is the wrong way! At a
minimum, they will freeze at what is about to come or likely prepare themselves to resist, or both. Either way, your message misses the mark.
- To be perfectly honest… Ummm, does this mean everything else you said before was not honest?
I recommend you read this article for other examples of these fatal phrases and their impact and commit to eradicating them from your conversations and presentations.
From My Seminars: Waffle Words
I find the following words sabotage sellers and presenters as well.
- Just as in I just wanted to show you… I just want a few minutes of your time. That word minimizes your importance as well as the importance of whatever you are showing or the discussion time you seek. The solution is to eliminate the word altogether: I want to show you… I want a few minutes of your time…
- Hopefully as in When we implement X, hopefully, it will solve the problem… Hopefully we can get this done in under two weeks… Your listener does not want to have to cross his fingers to think he will get what he needs! Eliminate the word. When we implement X, it will solve the problem. We expect to get this done in under two weeks.
- If as in If we do this, it will cut costs by X… If you participate in this deal, you will get X… Be more positive. When we do this, it will cut costs by X… When you participate in this deal, you will get X..
Watch Your Language!
You can have great ideas, products or services, but when you communicate tentativeness or uncertainty, your buyers or listeners lose confidence in what they are hearing. There are many reasons to lose business or have your ideas rejected, but hedging phrases and waffle words should not be among them. Record yourself. Are you guilty of any of these tics? If so, work on eliminating them to be a more convincing, compelling presenter.
Anne Miller
The WSJ article can be found here
Invitation: Hear me being interviewed by Deb Calvert, sales strategy guru, this Saturday, January 25, 12 noon EST. It will be a lot of fun and filled with great ideas for you. We will talk about how presenters and sellers gain a competitive edge and get results faster when they communicate with metaphors and analogies. Click here for details. P.S. You will also be able to call in your questions.