Change your language, change your life

The language we use can make a big difference ... in life and in business.

In a recent newsletter, retail sales and marketing expert Kelley Robertson asked us to consider the possible customer impact of restating negative concepts as positives.

As an example, compare:
"Oh, we're out of stock."
"We can't get any until next month."
"All we have left is a demo model."

to:
"We're completely sold out!"
"They're selling so fast we can't keep them in stock!"
"We have a display unit available that works great."

Simply rephrasing a sentence, says Kelley, “can change the entire message that the customer will hear. When we emphasize the right words with the appropriate tone of voice, the end result will be a positive message.”

A few more examples:

Change “I can't do that” to "Here's what I can do."
Change "It wasn't my fault" to "Let me help you resolve this."
Change: "I don't know" to "Let me find out."

Small, subtle changes can make a difference in the message your customers hear.
Can you think of any more examples?
Post them in Comments, below.

For more on Kelley Robertson and the Oakville-based Robertson Training Group, click here.