Negotiating in English: words to avoid in sales negotiations.
The choice of your words during a negotiation can make or break your deal. If you consciously choose the right sales vocabulary, you can give your arguments extra power and convince your client more quickly.
But by using the wrong words, you can lose all your chances of a successful negotiation. We give you an overview of the words in English you need to avoid in sales negotiations.
Vocabulary to avoid
Avoid vague or weak words
During a negotiation your message needs to be clear and to the point so your client can assess the advantages and disadvantages, the timing, the terms, etc.
Once you start giving vague descriptions, your customer's interest may decrease and your negotiation may fail.
Make sure you avoid using vague words such as:
- as soon as possible
- I’m not sure
- I think
- I might
- I hope
- maybe
- probably
- perhaps
- hopefully
- honestly
- but
Choose strong words and impress your client with your confidence and your belief in the product or service you are selling. We've made a selection of powerful words you can use during your sales negotiations.
Avoid technical words
There is no doubt that you want to show your customer that you have a lot of technical knowledge about your product, but don't overdo it.
Be aware that your customer is probably hearing your story for the first time and has no previous knowledge, so don't exaggerate: tell your story in plain and non-technical language.
Avoid typical sales terminology
Yes, you do want to sell your product or service, but try to do that in a natural way without making your customer feel that you are trying to sell.
Avoid certain words during your conversation, e.g. 'deal', 'pitch', 'prospect', 'offer', 'discount'.
More tips on negotiating in English? These articles might also interest you:
- How to negotiate in English
- 50+ key phrases to help you with negotations in English
- Negotiating in English: powerful language in sales negotiations
Do you need help for your sales negotiations in English?
Are your language skills too much of a barrier to feeling confident while negotiating in English? Then you can book one of our language coaches.
Together with your coach you will prepare your negotiation, broaden your vocabulary, practise standard phrases until you can negotiate in English with complete confidence.
Create your account on Squidll, find a business language coach who fits your needs and start today on Squidll!
Do you want more tips on boosting your sales skills in English? Find out all our tips on our blog.