UnSelling: It’s all in the words you use!
If you really embrace the notion of UnSelling it means you have to adopt a new way to communicate with your clients and prospects. A selling-oriented sales person tends to use phrases like:
- “You really need this product”
- “You’ll like the way my solution does…”
- “Is there anything else you need to see before you buy?”
The challenge with the selling approach, as we’ve discussed on this blog previously, is that the more we sell, the less we collaborate and the less we collaborate the less we really understand the problem the prospect is trying to solve. If our goal is to create an open, collaborative relationship between buyer and seller, the following types of phrases are far more likely to create the relationship that allows us to understand the client and better differentiate our solution:
- “Regardless of who you evaluate and ultimately choose, you may consider using the following criteria in your evaluation…” (which tells the prospect we are aware and comfortable with them looking at alternatives as well as demonstrating your subject matter expertise on how to do this well)
- “We may or may not be the optimum solution for you and the better I understand the business problem, the better I can help you assess whether we have a good fit” (which makes it obvious to the prospect that we are not trying to be a hammer looking for a nail)
- “One of the reasonable alternatives you should consider is the option of staying with the process/vendor you currently use – why would you consider changing from what you do today?” (which allows you to not only test how serious this prospect is about looking at a new solution but also tends to give you clarity on how serious today’s challenges are for the client)
These are only a few examples but highlight the vast difference in styles – from “selling” to UnSelling. And I’d argue that the latter approach is far more likely to create the optimum relationship between you and the buyer which will prove to be mutually beneficial!
I look forward to your feedback!