by Tim Roberts
Did you get “should on” when you were a kid? You know, “You should do this” and “You should do that.” Was your childhood laced with rules, directions, instructions and demands? How’d that make you feel?
Not long ago a confident salesperson crossed our threshold insisting that he “speak to the owner.” Our always-helpful gatekeeper smiled her broad smile and said, “As you wish.” She then danced delightfully down the hallway to my office hoping I’d be free.
As a professional sales trainer, I enjoy talking with salespeople, had a few minutes to offer, and so invited our guest in.
He started his pitch with “I’d like to have just a few minutes of your time to tell you why you should buy our WidgetService 1000.” I gave him a slight wave of the hand indicating he should proceed. He did.
“First you should know this is a one of a kind offer. The second thing that you should be aware of is that I won’t make this offer to just anyone. That alone should tell you that you should not be foolish enough to miss the opportunity. Allow me to give you three very clear reasons you should buy this.
“One, as the owner, you should always want the best. Two, discerning owners should choose value as well as price. And three, you should be happy we found this time together."
If you’re keeping score, that’s nine “shoulds” in under five minutes.
Folks, I’m troubled when salespeople “should on” prospective buyers.
I invite you to consider “I invite you to consider” as a replacement for “should.” People do things for their own reasons, not yours. And they certainly buy for their own reasons, not yours. The kinder, gentler version of the hard sell always begins with an invitation.
At Sandler Training, Trustpointe, we invite people to consider training as a lifelong resource. To learn more about well-chosen words, a trust-based experience and a close-free approach, contact Tim Roberts at tim@thetrustpointe.com or call 317.845.0041.
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