Top 10 phrases that kill your sales e-mail

So you’re a seasoned sales executive, and you think you know how to close deals, right? Well, you probably do, but watch out for these catch-phrases that may ruin your efforts out of the blue. Sometimes, as salespeople, we try to push too much down the sales funnel, and it just won’t work.

Consider these examples:

“Don’t miss this opportunity”

You lost the opportunity right at this moment. This is one of the worst sales phrases to use. It implies that you do not respect the buyer’s timetable, and want to force your own on him. Never pressure your customers. Especially in complex B2B sales.

“We’re different than our competitors in…”

Bringing up your competitors is a great mistake. Why make yourself subject to comparisons before your customer even knows you? It’s better to focus on your product and its benefits.

“We’ve helped lots of companies like yours”

Nobody wants to feel “like the others”. You need to make your prospect feel special. Tell them how much you can cater to their special needs – not that you just do the same with him.

“Could you put me in touch with…”

When addressing prospects, do your homework before. Do not ask them to work for you before that. First learn, then build a relationship, then when you feel confident enough, you can try to ask for favors.

“Are you free for a demo tomorrow?”

Again, don’t pressure your prospect. Don’t force them down the sales funnel. Let them do their own studies first. First build some rapport with your prospects, talk to them, convey the value of your product, and only then you may suggest a meeting.

“Trust me”

This is one of the worst. This phrase never elicits trust. Trust is earned, not given. By saying this, you are actually implying that you are not trustworthy.

“We accept all forms of payment”

That’s a huge turn-off. The prospect may have recently learned about your offering and may be in no position to buy. You must gauge the prospect’s interest and as you move across the salesfunnel and are confident enough, you may bring it up.

“I can tell we’re going to make a great team.”

Compliments are good, but not this kind. Compliments without a context and any relationship are actually not even flattering. They are perceived as annoying. First learn about your buyer, talk to him, make a small relationship. Then proceed with the nice words.

“just a quick e-mail to…”

Using “just” actually implies that what you’re saying is not important. Try to remove it from any sentence and see how the message becomes clearer and stronger.

“The product only costs…”

Listing any price in an introductory e-mail is only going to scare the buyer away. To start considering the price of the product, he/she must understand the value first. There’s no point in mentioning that it costs “only $XX”, because each product has its own reasonable price point, and the customer may don’t even know what category your product belongs to.

Take the time to write a short, thought-out cold e-mail. It is worth your time. Write a clear and concise message. Remember, there’s only one first impression.

Thanks for reading

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Top 10 phrases that kill your sales e-mail
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