Three Phrases That Make or Break Your Sales (And Your Success)
Three Phrases That Make or Break Your Sales (And Your Success)
Not only are they surprised by the actions of others, they often are surprised or confused by their own behaviors as well. They set goals and become determined to achieve them, yet time and again fail to hit the targets they’ve set. How many of us have looked back on a month, a quarter or a year and wondered why we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted? The answer lies in our language.
As a student of human nature, and of salespeople in particular, I spend lots of time watching behavior and listening closely to what others say. What I’ve discovered is that there really is a direct correlation between what people say out loud and how they behave. If you learn to listen carefully to others (and to yourself) you can uncover people’s true intentions and set your expectations of their behavior so that you are not surprised or disappointed.
There are three key phrases to listen for when attempting to predict someone’s behavior; “I want to”, “I have to” and “I should.” Let’s look at each of these a little closer.
When someone says “I want to” do something you can pretty well count on that thing being accomplished. We are all driven by our desires and are very capable of manipulating circumstances to get the things we really want. Think of the last time you bought a new car. Did you really need it? Was your old one so hopelessly worn out and unusable that you couldn’t repair it? Or did you simply want a new one? Did you see an advertisement or did your neighbor get a new car and you simply got the “I want” bug? Did you really have the money for a new car? I used to sell cars and I can’t tell you how quickly and easily people can rationalize any amount of money for a new car. They’ll give up many other luxuries in their lives in order to get that shiny new Lexus, whether they need it or not.
Our prospects are no different. When they really want something, especially something that will enhance their prestige or standing to others, they’ll do and pay whatever they must to get it. When you hear your prospects say “I want” they are sold. Get out your order forms. Likewise, when you say “I want” to achieve something, you’ll get it done. Frame your goals in your mind as “I wants” and you’re well on your way to achieving them.
“I have to” is another phrase that means you’re well on your way to a sale or a personal accomplishment. When we “have” to do something it means our backs are up against the wall, we are in a position that if we don’t do it, we’ll have to face dire consequences. For example, you may not want to pick your kids up from daycare, but you “have to.” They may be brats or it may not be convenient for you, but because leaving them there would cause such dire consequences, you do it anyway. When you hear “I have to” from your prospect, he no longer has a choice in the purchase process. If you have what he needs, he is now your client.
“I should” is a really dangerous phrase for salespeople. We hear it every day from our prospects and if we aren’t paying attention we mishear it as “I will.” “I should” means this is probably a good idea, but it’s really not important enough for me to do anything about it. When you hear this treacherous phrase, don’t start counting your commissions. Unless you can move the prospect to an “I want to” or “I have to” position, there is no close in sight.
One of the main reasons we, as salespeople, don’t hit our goals is that they are made mostly of “I shoulds.” Our goals seem like good ideas when we are setting them, but because they aren’t compelling enough, we never make the commitment and discipline ourselves enough to achieve them.
Spend the next month listening closely to yourself and your prospects and set your expectations accordingly. You’ll be amazed at the things you hear, and more importantly, at the behaviors you observe.
Three Phrases That Make or Break Your Sales And Your Success - To learn more about this author, visit Laura Posey's Website.
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One of the things I’ve noticed about salespeople is that they are sometimes surprised by the actions of their clients and prospects. They quite often feel fooled or misled and become disillusioned and disappointed when prospects don’t behave the way they expect them to.
Not only are they surprised by the actions of others, they often are surprised or confused by their own behaviors as well. They set goals and become determined to achieve them, yet time and again fail to hit the targets they’ve set. How many of us have looked back on a month, a quarter or a year and wondered why we didn’t accomplish everything we wanted? The answer lies in our language.
As a student of human nature, and of salespeople in particular, I spend lots of time watching behavior and listening closely to what others say. What I’ve discovered is that there really is a direct correlation between what people say out loud and how they behave. If you learn to listen carefully to others (and to yourself) you can uncover people’s true intentions and set your expectations of their behavior so that you are not surprised or disappointed.
There are three key phrases to listen for when attempting to predict someone’s behavior; “I want to”, “I have to” and “I should.” Let’s look at each of these a little closer.
When someone says “I want to” do something you can pretty well count on that thing being accomplished. We are all driven by our desires and are very capable of manipulating circumstances to get the things we really want. Think of the last time you bought a new car. Did you really need it? Was your old one so hopelessly worn out and unusable that you couldn’t repair it? Or did you simply want a new one? Did you see an advertisement or did your neighbor get a new car and you simply got the “I want” bug? Did you really have the money for a new car? I used to sell cars and I can’t tell you how quickly and easily people can rationalize any amount of money for a new car. They’ll give up many other luxuries in their lives in order to get that shiny new Lexus, whether they need it or not.
Our prospects are no different. When they really want something, especially something that will enhance their prestige or standing to others, they’ll do and pay whatever they must to get it. When you hear your prospects say “I want” they are sold. Get out your order forms. Likewise, when you say “I want” to achieve something, you’ll get it done. Frame your goals in your mind as “I wants” and you’re well on your way to achieving them.
“I have to” is another phrase that means you’re well on your way to a sale or a personal accomplishment. When we “have” to do something it means our backs are up against the wall, we are in a position that if we don’t do it, we’ll have to face dire consequences. For example, you may not want to pick your kids up from daycare, but you “have to.” They may be brats or it may not be convenient for you, but because leaving them there would cause such dire consequences, you do it anyway. When you hear “I have to” from your prospect, he no longer has a choice in the purchase process. If you have what he needs, he is now your client.
“I should” is a really dangerous phrase for salespeople. We hear it every day from our prospects and if we aren’t paying attention we mishear it as “I will.” “I should” means this is probably a good idea, but it’s really not important enough for me to do anything about it. When you hear this treacherous phrase, don’t start counting your commissions. Unless you can move the prospect to an “I want to” or “I have to” position, there is no close in sight.
One of the main reasons we, as salespeople, don’t hit our goals is that they are made mostly of “I shoulds.” Our goals seem like good ideas when we are setting them, but because they aren’t compelling enough, we never make the commitment and discipline ourselves enough to achieve them.
Spend the next month listening closely to yourself and your prospects and set your expectations accordingly. You’ll be amazed at the things you hear, and more importantly, at the behaviors you observe.
Three Phrases That Make or Break Your Sales And Your Success - To learn more about this author, visit Laura Posey's Website.
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George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
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Leanne Hoagland-SmithAre your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales or business success or one of the many who have failed to change? Are you tired of being told you are like everyone else? Then you may find my first book on sales of interest. Be the Red Jacket in the Sea of Gray Suits, The Keys to Unlocking Sales available at Amazon or at http://www.processspecialist.com/red-jacket.htm. This book is a reflection of my no-nonsense approach to improving sales to overall business results. If you are truly committed to making sustainable changes, then I can help you secure a positive return on your investment because I focus on executable solutions not telling you the problems you already know you have. From training to corporate (group) coaching to executive one on one coaching, my approach is to assess, create awareness, build a goal driven action plan and then execute. The bottom line question is "Not do you or your employees know it, but do you or they want to do it?" Please call for a free strategy session at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
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David AchesonDavid Acheson is the founder of DCJA Consultancy. DCJA Consultancy is a management consultancy business specialising in B2B sales consultancy. They offer bespoke and packaged sales consultancy including Sales Optimisation Review, Interim Sales Management, Sales & Marketing Review, 1:1 Sales & Management Staff Analysis, Management Training, Solution Sales Training, Creation of New Pay Plan, KPI's, run Customer Feedback Campaigns, assist with Recruitment, Coaching, Appraisals and set up Strategic Marketing Campaigns. David spent his early career in accountancy and then moved into sales in 1982, working in Office Equipment, IT, Advertising, Training, Outsourcing and Consultancy. He has held many Senior Positions in SMBs and Global Organisations including Head of Sales Operations & Head of Business Development. His knowledge, skills and great experience of the Sales Industry has led to David making keynote speeches and running educational sessions to key businesses through organisations including The Chamber of Commerce and Business Link. - Visit David Acheson's Website |
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Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
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John BrennanJohn Brennan Ed.D. Dr. Brennan is President of Interpersonal Development, LLC, a training and development firm. Interpersonal Development has provided sales training and coaching to more than 3,000 sales reps from over 100 companies. A native of Australia, Dr. Brennan received his doctorate from the University of Rochester. His dissertation researched the effectiveness of Behavioral Modeling Technology in training people in interpersonal skills. While he has spent most of his career designing or delivering training, he was also a Vice-President of Sales of a training and development franchise with operations in 25 markets. Dr. Brennan has designed and delivered sales training in North America, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Middle East. He has been a guest speaker at numerous national and regional professional conferences. When Microsoft wanted Best Practices articles on sales for their web site, they called Dr. Brennan. The results are at http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/FX011387391033.aspx His firm’s clients have included Volvo, The Prudential, Merrill Lynch, Eastman Kodak, Gannett, Equifax Europe, the Economist Group and countless small businesses. - Visit John Brennan's Website |
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Dianne CramptonDianne Crampton is an executive leadership coach, team consultant, author and president of TIGERS Success Series, Inc. Dianne has been helping CEO's and Executives connect their employees to their core values and goals for over 20 years using the trademarked TIGERS team culture process, which stands for trust, interdependence, genuineness, empathy, risk and success. To download a free white paper on behaviors that build strong teams and behaviors that will predictably tear them down go here. - Visit Dianne Crampton's Website |
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Kim CastleWith nearly two decades in the advertising and design business, with clients like Domino's Pizza, General Motors, Direct TV, Pedigree, Wolfgang Puck, Higher Octave Music, Hollywood Celebrity Products, Disney, and Paramount, as well as thousands of entrepreneurs around the world define, structure, communicate, and position their business for greater profits, BrandU(R) co-creators Kim Castle and W. Vito Montone discovered that entrepreneurs could experience the same power that big brands command for a fraction of the cost with the world's only process-based results-drive Integral approach to business creation. BrandU(R) is helping entrepreneurs grow with the power of extreme clarity from idea...to brand...to market(TM) and helping one million entrepreneurs become successful and whole so that they can make a difference in the world. Are you one of them? If you want to experience clarity all the way to the bank(TM), get started now at http://www.brandu.com. - Visit Kim Castle's Website |
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