9 negative phrases to avoid with your clients (& what to say instead)

/ / , , /

NOV 06, 2015 | BY LYNETTE GIL

Check yourself, before you wreck yourself, and practice what you’re going to say before making calls to prospects.

It usually plays out in slow motion; at least, it seems that way to you. You’re having a great conversation with a prospect or a client, and you’re thinking, “I think we could do business together.” That is, until a few words escape from your mouth that you didn’t intend to say, and everything turns sour within seconds.

If only there were a time-travelling machine that would allow us to rewind to just before the exact moment that we catch ourselves saying the words that damage our relationship with that client or prospect. We’re still working on said time machine — and building it to look like a Delorean — but in the meantime, SlickText, a marketing company that specializes in texting campaigns, put together a cool infographic with nine phrases that “pressure cook” problems. Visit Website to learn about how to establish good customer relationship and you will also see as a bonus, they also share what to say instead.

These phrases were originally meant for customer service representatives, but they apply to anyone in sales, really. More helpful tips SlickText offers when preparing to make a call include:

  1. Don’t take complaints personally.
  2. Show off your personality. This increases trust, and helps people relate to you and the solution.
  3. Prioritize a solution. Instead of focusing on the problem, work towards results.
  4. Don’t sacrifice your safety. If your gut is telling you something isn’t right, ask for help.
  5. Once the problem has been solved, move past it.

Remember that practice makes perfect and practicing these blunders will help you quickly adjust to different people and situations.

1. Don’t say: “Let me look into that.”

13

2. Don’t say: “Unfortunately, no…”

14

3. Don’t ever say: “There’s nothing I can do.”

15

4. Don’t say: “Let me correct you on that.”

16

5. Don’t say: “There must’ve been a miscommunication.”

17

6. Don’t say: “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”

18

7. Don’t say: “I have another call coming in, can you hang on?”

19

8. Don’t say: “I don’t have any record of your purchase/account.”

20

9. Don’t say: “That’s not something I can do.”

21

Remember these five tips:

22

To read the original article and see the infographic, visit the Slicktext blog here.

See also:

Must you choose between high touch and high tech?

Astonishing tales of customer service

Why your prospect won’t return your calls

Click here for the original article.