If your sales language hasn’t changed in the last decade, your strategy and tactics are from long ago.
How Language in B2B Sales Needs to Evolve in the 21st Century
Words are important. The words we use mean things, allowing us to communicate with each other. We are in the third decade of the 21st century, and our language should reflect that. Let’s look at a couple of words we use to describe something that is no longer true.
Why the Term “Sales Objection” Is Obsolete in Today’s Consultative Sales Conversations
The Oxford English Dictionary defines the word objection as: “a reason or argument put forward in opposition to others; a statement directed against a person, position, assertion, etc.; a dissenting opinion.” I can’t remember the last time one of my contacts objected to something. I imagine you don’t find your contacts arguing with you in the sales conversation. If you are paying attention, you will have noticed that instead of making an objection, your contact is likely to raise a real concern or sit in silence. Either of these could be more detrimental than an objection.
An objection signifies a difference of opinion. When you treat your contact’s real concern as an objection, you risk a deal that you might have won. What is most likely happening is that your contact is worried about something. The fact that they are bringing this up should tell you that their concern is significant enough to prevent you from closing a deal. Instead, you should focus on addressing the client’s concern. Probe what they are saying. Listen, then honestly discuss the change they are facing. Remind them of what they have to gain and lose, and why they decided to take this step.
If your contact is silent, you have even more work to do. Ask them what’s on their mind or what they still have concerns or questions about. Don’t shy away from their uncertainty. Get them talking about it, and lead a discussion that helps them feel confident about their decision. Never accept silence as agreement.
Lead with Credibility, Not Rapport, in Your First Sales Meeting
Rapport is often defined as low-stakes, easy social interactions with a contact that helps you get on better footing. If you can get them to like you in the first 15 minutes or so, you’ll come off as phony. Your contacts have met with enough salespeople to know that building rapport right away isn’t about them—it’s about you and your deal. You’ll seem like an insincere time waster looking to manipulate them.
I believe that rapport building is important, but only after you take care of the sales conversation and your client’s needs. Instead of trying to build a relationship in the first meeting, your prospective client is going to evaluate your credibility. Putting credibility before rapport will help you build trust with your client. The best way to do this is to open the sales conversation with topics that are most important and relevant to them. (Hint: This isn’t the local sports team, their beautiful kids, or the weather.)
You gain credibility when you share meaningful insights, data-supported ideas, and other advice that helps clients see their business more clearly.
I am an extrovert, I like other humans. If you are the kind of person who talks to the person sitting next to you on an airplane, remember that you must prioritize credibility. And you might make a new friend on the four-hour flight from Columbus to Phoenix.
“Why Change?” Is the New “Why Us?” in Competitive B2B Sales Environments
Why us? This question has appeared in countless sales slide decks. For years, salespeople were taught to open with presentations by talking about our company and big-name clients. Then, after suitably impressing our contacts (or boring them to death), we explained how and why our solution is the very best on earth. My sales experience is in the red ocean, where we take clients from our competitors, and they try to take ours. Why us? is no good in commoditized industries. And it’s not the best approach in other industries.
To take business from your competitors—and to win all the deals you can—you need to answer another question: Why change?
When a prospective client books a meeting with you, they are considering a major change. They will probably have done their homework beforehand, meaning they’ve read your website and LinkedIn posts. Your company’s history and logo page might impress them, but it won’t convince them that you can help them with their problem.
The contact sitting across from you is facing a strategic initiative, a changing industry, and a shifting business landscape. They feel uncertain about what they must do to achieve their objective. The stakes are high, and they need authoritative guidance. This is why I recommend leaving info about your company, clients, and solutions on your website. Your first meeting is valuable to you and the client. Spend that time helping them grapple with the decision they are facing. That decision is: Why change?
Help your contacts understand the opportunities and threats they are facing. Show them how doing things differently can help them get the results they need. Walk them through their options and outline the dangers of the status quo. By helping your contacts realize what they have to gain by making a change—and what they risk losing if they don’t—you position yourself as an advisor. That’s far more valuable than showing them a photo of your CEO and company headquarters.
As B2B sales language continues to evolve, we’ll cover other ways conversations with your clients change. In the future, we will explore how you can develop a value lens to become an expert and trusted advisor, work through misalignments, and make a strategic impact. We’ll also look at techniques to engage stakeholders, diagnose problems, and facilitate a strategic commitment that establishes a long-term relationship.
