I was excited to see one of my students present a powerful new software solution in a recent workshop. Susan (not her real name) is a smart, professional salesperson who is passionate about what she does. She presented herself well, the presentation was well-organized and tailored to the needs of the customer.
So why was the reaction around the room a collective “Ho hum” after Susan finished?
Instead of sounding confident and excited about her solution, Susan came across as vague, uncertain and, at times, even apologetic. Susan sabotaged her presentation with a mere handful of words. I’ve identified a few of the offenders below.
Words that Sabotage:
I’d just like to take a minute to summarize what we talked about…
I think that this may be a good fit for you.
This sort of shows you where you’re losing inventory …
I hope that you’ve seen some things you’ve liked…
I’m sorry we weren’t able to get