 
By Dawn Josephson
We all know the English language contains hundreds
of thousands of words. But did you know that only 21 of them can
easily sell your clients? Yes, it's true. When you know what these
proven words are and how to use them to the benefit of your practice,
you'll save both time and money when selling to prospects and clients.
In fact, once you master the use of these 21 words, your business
will quickly get the results it deserves. (Hint: This paragraph
contains 10 of the 21 words. Did you spot them all?)
Here are the top words that sell. Use them wisely
and watch your presentation and marketing response rates soar.
The top words that sell
You/your:
You is the most powerful word in the English language. It's more
powerful than the word money; it's more powerful than the word sex.
Prospects want to feel like you're talking to them directly, and
the word you accomplishes just that. Instead of writing "Our
clients report 'X' as a result of using Product 2100," write
"You will experience 'X' as a result of using Product 2100."
Keep every sentence in your prospects' and clients' perspective.
Money:
Ask people what they wish they had more of, and chances are they'll
say money. People love to save money just as much as they love to
earn it. So if a benefit of your product or service is that it saves
people money or helps them earn more money, state it along with
a monetary figure people can grasp. For example: "Using Product
2100 saves you money—over $5,000 per year!"
Easy/easily:
With 40-hours-plus workweeks and increasing demands at home, people
want things that are easy. They don't want products or services
that are going to make their lives more difficult. So always state
how easy your company makes things. For example: "Product 2100
makes it easy for you to …" or "With Product 2100,
you can easily …"
Free:
Everyone loves getting something for nothing. That's why
the word free continues to be one of the top-selling words. Realize
that the free offer doesn't have to have a high monetary value,
just a high perceived value. Some freebies that work include free
consultation, free estimate and free report.
Yes:
Face it; you love being told yes, don't you? Yes means
you have permission, you were right or you can get what you want.
Yes is one of the most pleasing words to the human ear. Say yes
often to your prospects. For example, in your marketing materials,
you can ask a series of positive yes-no questions, and then write,
"If you answered 'yes' to any of these questions, then Product
2100 is what you've been searching for."
Benefit:
Most presentations and written marketing pieces state the benefit
of the product or service; however, they neglect to actually use
the word benefit. When people read or hear the word benefit, they
subconsciously perk up. They know they're about to learn something
that will impact their life, so they want to know more. For example,
"As an added benefit to this product, you get …"
Person's name:
People love to hear the sound of their own name, and they love to
read their name in print. That's why so many souvenir shops sell
personalized items—from magnets to coffee mugs. Including
the prospect's name in a presentation or a marketing piece, especially
in the middle of a sentence, boosts attention levels. For example,
"As you can see, Steve, Product 2100 makes sense for your needs."
|
| While
synonyms to these words are acceptable, synonyms are not as
powerful as the actual words. |
|
The rest of the story
The other fourteen words that sell are: guarantee/guaranteed, health/healthy,
quick/quickly, love, results, safe/safely, proven, fun, new, save,
now, more, how-to and solution. While synonyms to these words are
acceptable, synonyms are not as powerful as the actual words. To
avoid sounding redundant, use the appropriate word wisely, and don't
overdo it.
When you use these 21 words in every presentation
or marketing piece, you quickly increase your prospect's interest
in what you say and write, which ultimately leads to more money
for you. Master the use of these proven words now. They are the
easy solution you've been waiting for to turn around low marketing
response rates.
Can you do it? Yes! And you're going to love the
results. Guaranteed!
Editor's note: Remember to check all your marketing
and promotional materials with compliance.
Dawn Josephson helps professionals transform
their ideas into written material. She is the author of Putting
It on Paper: The Ground Rules for Creating Promotional Pieces That
Sell Books. Contact her at dawn@cameopublications.com
or 843-785-3770.
February 2005
21 Words
That Sell
Pulling
It All Together
Why be
a Part of YAT?
Questions
to Ask Clients and Prospects
|
