Almost every agent has a sales pitch to persuade their customer and close the sale, but what if the pitch has become outdated or even offensive? Maybe these strategies were once effective, but could now be hindering your business!

 

“How can I help you?”  This is lingering from the dark ages when customers were reliant on salespeople to walk them through every step. In this day and age, customers are more than capable of determining what they want and where to find it. To better understand what’s in the customer’s best interest, say “Let’s talk about what you have in mind.” instead.

“We are the competition.”  This sounds like an attempt to convince the customer that you have the best product on the market and they shouldn’t waste their time comparing it to anything else. An agent that is confident with the product they are representing should back up their claim with a product or service comparison and let the customer decide for themself.

“I have just what you’re looking for.” Clients may find this presumptive and off putting. Rather than assuming, discuss your customer’s want and needs to determine what would suit them best.

“We’ve been in business for 37 years.” Once upon a time, customers were impressed by stability and a company’s ability to stand the test of time. Now customers are drawn to new, up-and-coming companies whose staff is younger with fresh ideas and perspective.

“I can see you know what you like.” Clients prefer someone listen to them and consider their needs, rather than someone attempt to influence them with insincere praise. They want to be treated with respect and an agent that genuinely seeks to service them is much more likely to make the sale than the latter.

“You’re going to love this.” Would you appreciate someone you just met telling you what you want? Probably not, and clients don’t either. They should explore their options and decide for themselves, but with an agent’s guidance. If they buy something they “want” and it turns out they don’t, they may resent you for convincing them it was the best decision just so you could make the sale. You’ll likely lose their business and probably won’t be getting any referrals.

“If you can find a better deal, take it.” Not many customers are opposed to doing the leg work to find the best deal, and challenging them to do so isn’t wise. They may find another agent who is willing to work with them instead of persuading them to settle on the first product they look at.

Make the sale by putting time and effort into servicing your customers, and ditch the pitch!