Clarify the Complicated

The Right Words Matter

Many of my coaching clients who sought to improve their sales complained vigorously about not having the right words to entice their prospects. It reminds me of something that the sales manager of a large manufacturing corporation once said to me. He said, “Often, my salespeople show up and throw up.” In other words, they don’t know when to stop talking. There’s a great quote that I heard once that says, “If you can sell them with blah, don’t say blah blah.”

Talk Less, Listen More

Salespeople, especially when they’re new and perhaps nervous, tend to talk themselves past the sale. This happens when they keep speaking in hopes of saying something that the prospect wants to hear and never realize that the prospect has probably tuned them out long ago and is waiting for them to leave. Don’t let this happen to you.

Simplifying the Complex: A Lesson from Dan Luckenbaugh

One of the things that I admire most about my Hall of Fame client Dan Luckenbaugh of Advanced Air Quality Services is that he simplifies the complicated when sharing his message. Being a specialist in mold remediation and improving the quality of indoor air, Dan frequently speaks to people who do not have his level of understanding about his technical field. To make them feel more comfortable, he speaks in the language of the listener. In other words, he breaks down his message into simple and understandable examples and metaphors. By doing so, he answers his prospects’ questions in a way they can easily comprehend.

The Language of the Listener

If you work in a technical field, you may have the same dilemma. I urge you to learn to speak in the language of the listener. Eliminate all jargon or technical abbreviations from your sales conversations. Don’t make your potential customers feel put off because they don’t understand what is familiar to you. If you’re planning to use the same technical terms more than once, at least have the courtesy to explain what they mean the first time. You may even have to repeat them once in a while until they sink in with your prospects. It’s not a bad idea to practice your sales pitch on a 10-year-old child. If he or she can follow what you’re talking about, there’s a good chance you won’t be speaking over your prospects’ heads.

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” – Leonardo da Vinci

Let me hear from you.

Join the Seminar

(This excerpt is taken from the seminar entitled Anyone Can Sell V: Asking for and Getting the Sale.) I encourage you to click here to register for the Anyone Can Sell V: Asking for and Getting the Sale exclusive live Zoom seminar on Thursday, October 31, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 Noon Eastern Standard Time.