The Silent Customer Debate you’ll likely Lose

Most of us have learned – sometimes the hard way – that some customers are leery of salespeople. These customers may be polite on the surface. Internally, however, their gut-feeling lie detector is scanning for any sign that an employee can’t be trusted. So when an employee exaggerates slightly – “It looks like a gorgeous day outside”, the customer’s internal debater silently responds, “I was just outside and it’s actually cool.” Or the employee says, “All my customers love this!” The customer thinks, “Every customer loves it? I doubt it.”

That’s why contrary to popular opinion about how employees should be super enthusiastic around customers, we’re actually more likely to gain a stronger connection by replacing exaggeration with understatement. “It looks like a decent day outside.” Or “A lot of my customers like this.” Those are facts that the customer isn’t inclined to argue with – even internally.

Consider the language you use with your customers, and even with co-workers and friends. Does your language trigger a silent debate, or are you using understatement to gain quiet confidence?