Sales Mistake No 5: Aren’t we wonderful!

Sales mistake number five in our “Top Ten Sales Mistakes” series is… Aren’t we wonderful! Well yes, of course we are, but do you think your prospect really cares? When businesses get too wrapped up in the rhetoric of how great they are, they can often lose site of their sales prospect’s perspective.

The first place you can notice this dynamic is on a business’ website and in its sales copy. Is the copy written in the “first person” using lots of I’s and We’s, or is it written from the “second person” using lots of You’s. Why is this a big problem? Read on…

When your prospect is reading your homepage, the chances are it’s the first time they have come across you. What kind of impression do you want to make?

1. “We have been in business for over fifty years”

1. “We’ve just moved to new premises”

1. “We’ve just taken over XYZ business”

Yes, all these things may be true and something to be proud of though from your (skeptical) prospect’s perspective… “So what?” This is because all of the above are features. To make those features real and meaningful for your prospects, they need to be turned into benefits, using the magic phrase, spoken or unspoken, “which means that”. For the above:

1. “We have been in business for over fifty years which means that we’ve gained plenty of valuable experience that can help your business”

1. “We’ve just moved to new premises so that we can service your account more efficiently”

1. “We’ve just taken over XYZ business so that we can offer you a more integrated service”

The damage is not only that the “first person” style fails to connect with your prospect in the deep empathetic way that builds an unbreakable client relationship. If this is the way that your sellers talk to your prospects, two things can happen. First, the sales dynamic becomes an “us and them” relationship. Secondly, the sales discussion slips into features language. Features are pitched from the first person; benefits are pitched from the second. In order for a seller to pitch a benefit, they have to consider their prospects perspective. This process on it’s own, will move your seller closer to their prospect, creating valuable empathy along the way.

So there’s nothing wrong with being wonderful! It’s even better when it can mean something to your prospect.

I hope you find this useful? Drop us an email if it raises questions for you.