A social media software firm I'll call Socks Social (not their real name) once wrote a guest post for this blog. But this is not about that guest post - it's about a blown opportunity by using self-serving language. (Jill Konrath of SNAP Selling also talks a lot about self-serving language. Check out this post - Are You Losing Your Prospects at Hello?)
A man from this firm send me a nice Christmas greeting. I know them, so I wrote back to thank him. Then he responded:
"Thanks Jeff. Let me know if you want to chat in the new year about Socks Social."
Excuse me? Why would I want to subject myself to your sales pitch? Am I to guess at the potential value to me and my business?
What if he had instead wrote?
"Thanks, Jeff. Let me know if in the new year you'd like to chat about Find New Customers, your goals for the new year and to see if Social Social might help you."
I'd probably accept that meeting. But I'm not taking a meeting to discuss your company.
I urge you to take a close look at the language your salespeople are using. Is it self-serving like this or buyer oriented?