Do You Use These Words That Create Resistance?

When marketing your cleaning business you might be tempted to use words or phrases that might seem natural to say, but they tend to cause resistance from your prospect.

Have you ever found yourself saying something like:
"I'm sure you're aware..."
"I'm sure you've heard of..."
"You've probably read about..."

If you were on the other side of that conversation you might be tempted respond with a resounding "No I haven't!" Buyers are skeptics and will naturally resist when you make assumptions or claims that could be questioned.

Here are some phrases that you better be able to back up:
"We're the leading..."
"We're the best..."
"We're the most respected..."

You may also want to avoid technical words. Most people don't care how something works or how you're going to clean their carpet step-by-step. They just want to see the results. If you use too many technical words, you may also make them feel inferior if they don't know what you're talking about.

Spend some time thinking carefully about the words and phrases you use when talking to prospects. Ask yourself if there is anything you say that could be met with resistance or skepticism. Put yourself in the prospects place and imagine someone else using those lines to sell to you. If it doesn't feel right, go back to the drawing board and start re-thinking your presentation. When you see things from the prospects perspective, you'll soon realize what words work and what words don't.

Are there certain words that you avoid using? Are there words or phrases that work well for you when talking to prospects? Click on the Comments link below to post replies.

Comments

[Roy Kennedy]

Thats pretty interesting I havent heard of any words that shouldnt be used .I have learned and always been told that you should always be a great listener . I always try to find the other persond needs and try to help them . I leave my ego and opnions in the car .Yes I know more about cleaning,painting and repairs than they do but its not my home or building . Im there to ask questions and listen until I know what they want

[Jean Hanson]

Roy - good point about being a great listener. This is probably the #1 thing that you need to do when meeting with a prospect.

[Clean4Me Commercial Cleaning]

These words are even more important when you consider they are among the first words out of our mouths. Customers (commercial cleaning clients included) make an emotion based decision subconsciously within the first 10-20 seconds (or sooner) of a dialogue and then spend the rest of their time rationalizing that decision. When we use these phrases to kick off a conversation about a commercial cleaning project, then you can bet that we have either turned the customer off or stacked the odds against against us from the beginning.

Another word to avoid with clients (and employees) is BUT. "The office cleaning was ok BUT...." Everything you said before the word BUT is effectively wiped out. Substitue AND and you will convey the full meaning of your communication intact.

Small adjustments in language can make a big difference in response.

[Jean Hanson]

Thanks for the comments - excellent points!

[Frances]

I need some advice on a bid I'm putting together for a 54 units condo building. I'm going there on Friday to measure and see what needs to be done. Since I'm trying to get this contract and I know I can charge .10 to .25 per sq ft, should I bid .10 per sq ft for general cleaning and add the special cleaning bids as well seperately?

[Natalie]

When I had my first 2 client's, I made my first mistake of asking the clients'is there any particular way you want house and office cleaned? What did I do that for? There became the biggest cleaning professionals, they started talking to me as if I didn't know what I was doing, and followed me around. The next week they started leaving notes every morning for me to follow by step by step. I will never ask that question again.

[Jean Hanson]

Natalie - thanks for sharing. A lot of people do this and end up regretting it for the reasons you mentioned. It's much better to let the customers know your cleaning programs and what is included in each. That way there's a lot more consistency with your cleaning and it's easier for your employees as well.