Change your words ->Change your business.
Those that have spoken with me in anyway regarding self or business improvement knows I’m huge on the POWER OF LANGUAGE.
Some of you have maybe heard of my invented “Circle of Reality” I call it.
That theory goes like this:
Our reality is generated by our experiences.Our experiences come from the things we see and hear throughout our days.The things we see and hear throughout our days come from the things people say and do.What people say and do stems from our thoughts.Our thoughts are created from our perceived reality.Our reality is generated by our experiences.
And around and around.
The only link in the chain that we have the control to change is the things we CHOOSE to say and do.
Below are some tips for business of some language that may be damaging your bottom line, possibly scaring people away and some suggestions for replacements. These are from literature published by
Tom Hopkins with a little Brendan twist. I highly recombined getting into his teachings.
Some good old fashioned DOs and DONTs when it come to things we say.
DON’T SAY:
Commission.
Sorry, nobody wants you to have one. It implies you get paid for their decision to move forward. Even though this is true, it will lose you some perceived integrity.
DO SAY:
Fee. Or, Fee for service.
“Our company is nice enough to build in a fee for service. I assure you the benefits you will receive over the years from this will far outweigh our fee for service.
DON’T SAY:
Cost/Price.
This will instantly trigger them to think to shop for a better one.
DO SAY:
Total investment.
DON’T SAY:
Down payment.
This insinuates its time to cough up the money.
DO SAY:
Initial investment.
“Your initial investment is due on the 25th”
DON’T SAY:
Monthly payment.
This one sucks.
NOBODY like to add to or even think about those unwanted monthly payments.
This will instigate instant anxiety. “I can’t take on anymore!”
DO SAY:
Monthly investment. Or, monthly amount.
DON’T SAY:
Contract. This means now your bound. They think is they
ever need to get out of a contract you need to go to court.
DO SAY:
The paper work. Or, the agreement.
“Let’s take a look at our agreement.”
“Let’s just draft up our feelings on the paper work to see if it makes sense.”People will love to draft up some feelings but never fill in a contract.
DON’T SAY:
Buy. People don’t want to buy anything. Buying mean spending money.
DO SAY:
Own.
“When you own this fine home…” “When you own this policy…”
People want to own things, but they don’t want to buy them.
DON’T SAY:
Sell/Sold.
Selling and sold sounds like you put pressure on someone. It will build a defence.
“You’re not selling me!”
DO SAY:
Get them involved.
“We have got a lot of people involved.” “I look forward to getting you involved.
People don’t want to be sold, they want to be involved.
DON’T SAY:
Deal.
This work degrades the integrity of our transaction. There is always a better, deal. Everyone has had a good “deal” that didn’t work out.
DO SAY:
Opportunity.
“This is a good opportunity for your company to grow with.”
“This is a good opportunity here for you and your family”
DON’T SAY:
Sign it. Asking for them to sign can through them off the chart of anxiety and they will need to leave. Don’t ask anyone to sign anything.
DO SAY:
OK it.
“John I’ll need your ok here”
DO SAY:
Approve it
DO SAY:
Authorize it.
“We will need your authorization to start serving you.”
DON’T SAY:
Pitch. Having a pitch sounds like it’s just something you made up to say.
DO SAY:
Presentation.
We don’t pitch anything.
We give excellent presentations.
DON’T SAY:
Problem. This on e is very physiological. When you say the word problem, it triggers emotions form any and all other problems happening in their life. If there is a marriage problem or work problem this will sound like the same and can be crushing to any progress.
DO SAY:
Challenge. “We have had that challenge before.” This word implies the victory over it and a way through.
“We can help you with that challenge.” “You could say we are kind of a challenge solving company”
DON’T SAY:
Objections.
They will think of more that you haven’t covered.
DO SAY:
Area of concern.
“I can appreciate that area of concern, Mary”
DON’T SAY:
Cheaper. Cheaper subconsciously means of less quality and/or less longevity of service.
DO SAY:
More economical.
“That option is more economical”
DON’T SAY:
Customers. It’s too cold of a word.
“We have 300 customers in the area.”
DO SAY:
People we serve.
Families we serve.
Companies we serve
“We have recently found people just like you that have got involved and we are lucky enough to now serve”
DON’T SAY:
Prospects. People are not prospects. We don’t have prospects
DO SAY:
Future clients.
Using this word will change the whole feeling of your business. “Everyone we meet is a future client.”
This one is one of my favorites.
DON’T SAY:
Set appointments. This could sound too formal and sounds like it could take a long amount of time.
DO SAY:
Pop by. Or, Visit.
“I was hoping we could have a visit.” “Are you free tonight? Ill just pop by around 7.”
Pop by and visit means you’ll just pop in and pop out so they can carry on with what they want to do.
Take the time and have fun with just 2 or three of these and watch the ease it brings to your day to day.
Use these words to create your reality.
Thanks for popping by ;)
Brendan
