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Why Your “But” Stinks
By Will Turner
We all have them and we all could stand to get rid of them. They annoy other people and cause plenty of frustration. We throw them around carelessly, not ever realizing the destruction we leave in our wake. I’m talking about our stinky “buts.”
Have you ever spent time carefully explaining to someone what you think about a topic and had them respond with something like “I hear what you’re saying, but…” or “I agree with you but…” Those are stinky “buts” and salespeople use them all the time.
Whenever you make a statement followed by “but,” you’re contradicting whatever the statement meant. “I agree with you but…” means that you don’t agree at all. You’re just trying to find a nice way to soften up the listener for what you really think.
This is particularly dangerous in sales. If your prospect tells you that he really only wants to spend $500 on your product and you reply with “I understand your budgetary concerns, but have you considered the value of our product,” you’re essentially saying, “I don’t care about your budget; just buy my product.”
By using your “but,” you’re discounting his side of the equation and turning him against you. You’re creating an enemy when you have an opportunity to seek greater understanding.
Instead of showing a prospect your “but,” ask another question to find out what’s really going on. In the example above, a simple, “How did you arrive at the $500 budget, Mr. Prospect?” would be an easy next question. You can then probe to discover if he has limited funds or if he doesn’t understand or appreciate the full value of what you’re offering.
So stop showing your stinky “but” all over town and you’re sure to increase your sales and build stronger relationships along the way.
© Dancing Elephants Achievement Group 2004