Today's post is by Sales SheBang speaker Anne Miller, author of Metaphorically Selling. She's presenting a breakout session on "What to Say When They Just Don't Get it."
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In "My Fair Lady," Professor Henry Higgins transforms the poor street seller, Eliza Doolittle into a well-bred young lady primarily by changing her speech and, secondarily, her manners. The professor's work is so successful that at her debut at the races, Eliza has everyone in high society believing she is one of them.
How about you? We assume the possession of good manners, but is your speech unwittingly projecting an image that is undermining your own credibility and authority with your "high society," your clients?
Obviously, you aren't a poor street seller, but you may be bankrupting your credibility with these three errors.
CREDIBILITY KILLER #1: UPTALKING??
This is when your statements come across as questions. For example, "This is a very sound program? It will increase sales and improve client relationships?" Or, "Our recommendation is a diversified portfolio? Because it spreads the risk?"
No doubt you do this as a way of confirming that what you are saying is being understood, or you are just a victim of the valleyspeak virus that seems to have infected a large part of the population. However, this uptalking makes you sound uncertain. When you sound uncertain, why should you be surprised if the client doesn't exactly feel confident about what you saying!
How would you feel if, on your next flight, your airplane pilot said, "Good morning, folks. We're on our way to San Francisco? We expect to arrive at 11:45 AM? We expect a smooth trip? You can expect your luggage on carousel C?
Change this sales-robbing speech tic into a positive MoneyPower sounding strength by ending your sentences definitively.
CREDIBILITY KILLER #2: SINGINGGGGG
This is Uptalking's close cousin in crimes against credibility. Instead of emphatically ending your sentences, you extend the last sound of the word into the next thought. "We're very happy to be heeere. When we spoke laaast, you said that you were experiencing increasing overseas comptetitionnnnn. And we're confident that we can heeelp youuu. And it will only cost one hundred thousand dollllars." You wind up link-singinggg onethouououghtintoanoootherrr.
In this case, it isn't uncertainty that you are communicating. It is lack of authority. At the very worst, it is easily seen as immaturity.
Listen to your favorite newscasters, male or female. They do not say, "There was a black-ouout across eight states last niiight. It was the worst power faiaiailure in American historyyyy. The cause remains unknooownnnn." They end their sentences at the period. You should, too. Period.
CREDIBILITY KILLERS #3: MINIMIZERS & QUALIFIERS
Words like "think," "just," "kind of," "sort of," "hopefully," and "perhaps," which often spring from a sense of not wanting to be pushy can have a devastating effect on your buyer's confidence in what you are saying.
Who feels comfortable buying a recommendation that "kind of, sort of, hopefully, might" solve their problem, or one that you, the salesperson only "thinks" will help them? Will they take seriously the graph or chart that you "just" put together.
The occasional qualifier is inevitable and relatively benign, but a constant stream of them in your conversation turns into a flood of second thoughts in your client's mind. Again, would you want your pilot to announce, "Good morning, folks. I just want to tell you about our flight. I think we are kind of going to San Francisco today and hopefully we'll arrive at 11:45AM and maybe you'll sort of get your luggage on carousel C. I hope."
Qualifiers are mush words. Replace them with MoneyWords. “This chart shows.. vs. “What this chart is trying to show…” “As a result, this will help you grow your sales” vs. “Hopefully, this will help you grow your sales.” “I wanted to see you about..” vs. “I just wanted to see you about…”
BECOME YOUR OWN PROFESSOR HIGGINS
Record or tape yourself giving your presentation. LISTEN to yourself. If you catch yourself uptalking, singing, or using minimizers or qualifiers, work on eliminating them. Share your problem with someone you work or live with. Tell them to quietly say your name, every time they hear you fall into one of these traps.
As you become increasingly aware of these credibility killers you will be able to eliminate them and replace them with MoneyWords, positive, authoritative language -- making it much easier for your client to say, "Yes" with complete confidence in you, your products or services, and your ideas.
Speaker, seminar leader, author, and coach, Anne Miller helps people in high stakes situations with the “MoneyWords” they need to close a deal, nail a presentation, or wow a crowd. The Blackstone Group, Time, Inc., and Yahoo!, represent the leading firms who have experienced her original and practical programs. Featured frequently in print and online, Anne is the author of three books and her popular free “Metaphor Minute” Newsletter. To subscribe, visit www.annemiller.com
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