I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog talking about how storytelling is important for sales (and marketing), and particularly the way language helps construct our reality, which means it can also lead us into traps.
For example, how does our reality change if we if go to work to “sell” or if we go to work to “help”?
What’s the difference between “closing a deal” and “opening a relationship?”
Between “paying” and “investing”?
Between “you screwed up” and “why didn’t our process handle this?”?
“That will never work!” versus “What would have to happen to make this work?”
There’s no single “right” way to think about these words and phrases, but often, our own minds set language traps for us that limit what we can do.
What are some of your favorite examples of language traps and how to avoid them? (Add to Twitter.)