THIS MONTH:
+ Delete Your "Don't's"
+ Banish Your "But's"

+ Delete Your "Don't's"
Don't discuss your "don't's."

Don't tell me about the design experience you don't have.

Or the professional affiliations you don't have.

Or the showroom floor space you don't have.

Or the product lines you don't carry.

I don't care. Neither should you.

Why speak the language of lack? Why not focus your time, attention and words on the credentials you have, rather than on those you don't?

Sharing your shortcomings kills your credibility. Prospects tune out the rest of your comments when you preface them with something like "I don't have much experience designing cabinets like these, but.. ."
Tell those you need to influence what you can do rather than what you can't.

Tell them what you know, not what you don't. Tell them of the skills you have instead of those you lack.

Your critical marketing mission is to become the world's foremost authority on the qualifications you have, not on those you don't.

How? For starters, get off your "but."

Eliminate all those phrases that end in "but," and then pick up from there. Examples:

Rather than saying: "We're not the largest design firm here, but we're the only one that specializes in vacation homes."

Say: "We're the only design firm here that specializes in vacation homes."

Don't say: We don't carry as many carpet lines as other showrooms, but we have the largest selection of ceramic tile."

Say: "We have the largest selection of ceramic tile."

Don't say: "I just graduated and don't have work experience, but I've studied kitchen and bath design."
Say: "I've studied kitchen and bath design."

Get the idea?