The #1 Customer Turnoff (hint – it’s not high prices)

Have your team members ever complained that your prices are too high to be competitive? My experience in training literally hundreds of sales and service teams over the years is that high prices are not usually the problem. Most people don’t buy based on price alone. If price were the only factor, we’d all live in the cheapest homes, drive the cheapest vehicles and only buy fast food. Our surveys revealed the #1 turnoff for most potential customers is actually the company reps themselves.

It’s not that the reps aren’t smart or friendly. On the contrary, I’m usually brought in to provide in-person or virtual training for experienced team members who have extensive product knowledge and good people skills. However, they haven’t been trained on making subtle word choices that earn more trust. Consider asking a customer, “Would you like to… (have a conversation)?” or “Do you want to…” That wording makes it easy for customers to say no, since having meetings isn’t something that busy people relish. Contrast that phrasing to, “Are you open to…” Most people like to think of themselves as being open-minded. That wording invites customers to at least consider a first step.

Bottom line – your prices may not be turning off your customers. It’s more likely your team’s word choices.