Words that betray our true motives

Talking our way out of sales

By John R. Graham

We speak forcefully and sometimes even passionately about serving customers and taking care of their needs. We take special pride in these commitments. At times, our words sound so sincere we actually convince ourselves of our sincerity.

When a business seminar leader asks participants why they are in business, the answers are instant. Away from the preying eyes of customers, the answers reveal quite a different picture. "To make money!" It's always the first response. And it's expressed with such speed and conviction to suggest the question is so obvious it's meaningless.

The phone rings and the salesperson says, "Let's get together. I want to work with you." Work with me? That's what the caller says, but that's not what she means. Work is a code word. "I want to sell you something," is the real message.

Or, another salesperson asks, "Do you want to save money?" Of course we want to save money and that's why we pass on this one. "Saving money" is another code word. To save money, we must buy something.

As it turns out, the only people who are naïve enough to believe such baloney are those who mouth it. These approaches are not working as well as they did at one time. Fewer customers are willing to waste their time. Customers are far more cautious and less willing to be led by the nose.

No matter how the sales pitch is couched, the goal is to get the money. Even more to the point, it's all about figuring out how to get the money and run.

So much business language only exacerbates the con game that undermines so much selling credibility. Here are a few examples:

1. We talk about "helping the customer," but the real goal is to load up the customer with as much as possible of what we sell. That's the way success is measured. Whatever it takes, just get the customer to buy as much as we can. When we talk about "helping," we are often referring to ourselves.

2. We say they are our "valued customers," but what we really care about is shareholder value. The true objective is to do only what's absolutely necessary for the customer. Nothing more. The customer isn't king; the customer is a pawn to be manipulated as needed.

3. We talk about building long-term relationships, but we expect short-term results. We devote our time, energy, and effort into looking at the number rather than looking at the customers. Our backs are to the customer. They are only important in terms of what they can do for us.

4. We make a point out of staying close to customers, but once we get the order, we're gone. Is it any wonder that customers today are taking long and longer to sign the order? It makes perfect sense. We all know that the moment we sign the order, it's all over! The salespeople, the support staff, and anyone else packs their bags and are gone.

5. We talk about listening to customers, but we don't take time to hear what they're saying. A study by Miller-Williams, Inc., the research firm, indicates that more than half of sales pitches miss their mark -- the customer. While conscientious salespeople seem to spend time preparing their presentations, 51 percent don't fit the customer's personality. In other words, there's a failure to take the customer into account.

Most of the talk about "value-added" is just that, talk. All that counts is what the customer values. Everything else is off-base, window dressing, or nonsense. More than likely, all three. The task is to understand how to deliver what the customer wants. If we don't, someone else will. Count on it.

In order to create customer confidence that translates into more sales, it's essential that business question its words, ideas, and concepts. The objective is to cut through anything and everything that makes making the sale more difficult.

The goal is to establish conditions that foster relationships that have meaning for our customers. The objective is to enhance sales credibility and to foster confidence in your customers so they are convinced that it's smart to do business with you.

John R. Graham is president of Graham Communications, a marketing services and sales consulting firm in Quincy, Mass., 02170 (617-328-0069; fax 617-471-1504); j_graham@grahamcomm.com). The company's Web site is www.grahamcomm.com.