When it comes to sales, using the right buzzwords can make all the difference. I remember when I was first starting out in sales, I would use any word or phrase that I thought might help close a deal. But more often than not, it just came across as desperate and pushy. It wasn’t until I started using some sales buzzwords that things started to turn around for me. If you’re looking to boost your sales numbers, then make sure you start incorporating these into your vocabulary ASAP!
What are Sales Buzzwords?
Sales buzzwords are words or phrases that are often used in sales environments to describe products, services, or features positively or persuasively.
They are designed to capture the attention of potential customers and encourage them to learn more about what is being offered.
Some common sales buzzwords include cutting-edge, state-of-the-art, innovative, and user-friendly.
These words can make your sales pitches or marketing messages more persuasive.
Sales representatives who use buzzwords can come across as more credible because they are using terms that are common in the industry. This can make them sound like they know what they are talking about, which can help convince a prospective customer to make a purchase.
Sales buzzwords can be useful in convincing a prospective customer to make a purchase. The sales language can be engaging and persuasive, which may encourage the customer to buy the product or service.
Buzzwords to Watch in the Coming Decade
New marketing strategies are popping up all of the time. I hadn’t heard the term “geofencing” until 2015, but now it’s used regularly.
Here are a few terms that you’ll likely hear more of in the future.
Advertainment
Ads that are disguised as entertainment media, such as movies, music videos, or TV shows, are called advertainment. These forms of advertising can be much more memorable than typical commercials.
One example is the reality TV show “Wahlburgers” which centers around actor Mark Walhberg and his family.
Although the show is clearly an ad for their burger chain, the show’s setup is similar to Real Housewives and other reality TV shows.
This isn’t a new concept. After all, toy companies have been making shows to sell their products for years.
As more companies look to advertise, you should anticipate seeing a lot more ads in the coming years.
Content Shock
Are you tired of consuming so much information?
Do you feel like you’re always taking in too many pictures, videos, and texts?
If so, you may have experienced content shock.
You’re not the only person who feels overwhelmed. Even content creators do.
As a marketing professional, it’s essential to be aware of content marketing shock. There is so much information out there but if you create content that benefits your target audience, rather than annoys them, you’ll break through the noise.
There are a few ways you can avoid content shock.
Don’t overwhelm your audience with too much irrelevant or low-quality content that they’ll just ignore. Instead, focus on creating high-quality, engaging content that is relevant to your target audience.
Also, make it easy for readers to opt-out of your email marketing. Making it hard for them to do so will only make them resent you.
Lastly, don’t get discouraged. It takes a while for an audience to find your content, so keep at it!
Ephemeral Content
Content that vanishes after a certain amount of time is called ephemeral content and is typically in the form of images or videos.
Coupons and promotional codes can also be considered “ephemeral” or short-lived.
Because ephemeral content only lasts for a short amount of time, it taps into a customer’s fear of missing out (FOMO). It encourages viewers to engage while they have the opportunity.
This strategy also allows marketers to produce more content. While 20-tweet threads may be annoying, 20-Snapchat posts do not flood the audience with too much information.
Freemium
Freemium is a pricing strategy where a company gives its product away to users free of charge.
But, it’s only available for a limited time and users must pay a fee to unlock advanced features.
Many SaaS companies use a free-to-premium model. One example of this is the popular blogging platform WordPress.
Although WordPress is free to download and use, many of the themes and plugins that are available cost money. This business model allows the company to still make money, even though they offer a free product.
Many streaming services like Netflix and Spotify use a freemium business model. This means that they offer a free version, but require a premium account to access certain features. This can be a good way to test out the service before committing.
Geofencing
There’s no piece of technology out there that hasn’t been used for marketing.
If you want to target your audience based on where they are, then location-based targeting, or geofencing, is a great technique. With this method, you can send messages or alerts to mobile devices when they enter a specific geographic area.
If you have the Google Maps app installed on your mobile phone and push notifications enabled, you may already be familiar with this. Whenever you leave a place of business, the app will send you a push notification asking you to rate your experience.
This encourages people to leave positive reviews when they wouldn’t normally.
The Walmart mobile app uses geolocation to send you relevant offers and deals when you’re near the store.
Internet of Things (IoT)
The phrase “Internet of Things” refers to all of the internet-connected devices that people use every day. This includes everything from computers to smartwatches.
With the increasing amount of smart devices, everything ranging from your dishwasher to your toothbrush is connected to the internet.
The Internet of Things (IoT) collects and analyzes data from all the smart refrigerators in a particular city. Marketers can then use this wealth of information to learn more about consumers’ behavior.
Micro-Influencer
Not all influential people have the same number of social media fans.
A YouTuber with a smaller following than a celebrity can still have just as big of an impact on their audience.
But, unlike a reality TV star, that YouTube influencer is more likely to engage with their followers, making them seem more like a friend than celebrities.
Partnering with micro- and nano-influencers can be a great way to increase your brand’s reach. These smaller, more niche-focused accounts have highly engaged and loyal followers.
This is a good way to reach your target audience through a communication channel they already know and trust.
It seems like influencer marketing is here to stay. In fact, 36% of millennials and 86% of Generation Z consumers are more interested in seeing an influencer discuss products than a celebrity.
Pivot to Video
Creating more videos rather than writing blog posts has been a popular trend for a while now. Some businesses have found that investing in video marketing has been more successful than writing. One example is Fox Sports, which laid off its content writers in favor of video content.
Unfortunately, this tactic backfired, as the company’s website traffic dropped by 88%.
Videos can be a great way to connect with your audience. In fact, according to one study, videos were the number one way people found out about brands in 2014.
While some people believe that the written word is dying, others argue that it’s here to stay.
Programmatic Marketing
Instead of renting out an ad spot, programmatic advertising allows you to bid on the ad in real-time.
There are a few reasons why this is an advantage.
Because there are no set fees for pay-per-call, it can be more cost-effective than other forms of advertising.
Programmatic ad buying uses artificial intelligence and machine-learning technology to determine who is likely to buy your products. This lets you target your ads to people who are the most likely to want what you have to sell, resulting in a much higher return on investment for your ad campaigns.
By avoiding wasteful advertising, you can save money.
Digital billboards are another form of digital advertising. Some platforms now allow you to bid on ad space.
Second-Screen
How often are you on your phone while watching television? Are you one of the many people doing this?
According to research by Nielsen, 88% of Americans are using another screen while watching TV. That’s nearly everyone!
Marketers have taken notice and we’re starting to see more cross-channel experiences that incorporate mobile and television content. This is called second-screen marketing.
Unsurprisingly, TV and streaming companies have been at the forefront of using data to time their ads. For example, when is someone most likely to watch a show on Netflix?
They’ll often make jokes on Twitter about whatever’s happening on the show at that time, giving viewers a way to engage with the show.
Storyscaping
This form of advertising, which transports the customer into a world of the brand, allows for a deeper connection and a more emotional experience.
It appeals to marketers who sell tangible products as it allows customers to have a more personal connection with your products.
Every company should have a story about its products or services. This can help customers feel like they’re part of the narrative, rather than just being marketed to. It’s more personal and can lead to a stronger connection.
Some companies choose to partner up with a charity and contribute a portion of their sales to that organization. This is a great way for them to give back to the community.
By purchasing products from a company, customers can contribute to a charitable cause.
Social media has made it possible for businesses to tell their story in more ways than ever before. So, expect to see more storytelling in marketing over the next 10 years.
30 Sales Buzzwords You Should Avoid
1. Disruptive Innovation
When describing your product to a prospect and how it “disrupts” the marketplace, you don’t have to use the word disrupt. Disruption is often confused with being new, different, or cool.
Disruptive innovation and disruption are not the same things. Many new startup companies and digital businesses aren’t actually disrupting anything. The word should be eliminated.
2. Strategic Planning
Your clients are unlikely to be interested in your product unless they believe it will help them achieve their business objective.
This word is vague and doesn’t help differentiate our product during the sales process.
3. Leverage
When a sales rep tells you that your software will allow them to use their infrastructure more efficiently, they should explain exactly how.
4. Alignment
Alignment is a trending topic right now. Companies are focusing on improving all aspects of their company by making sure they’re all aligned.
But, what does “alignment” mean? How does it benefit customers?
Does your software have the ability to connect sales and marketing? If so, does it do so autonomously or does it need their input? This vague phrase can confuse and lead to more questions.
5. Core Competency
Core competency is a fancy term for what gives your business an advantage over your competition.
Instead of using complicated terms, it’s better to use a term that your prospects will understand.
6. Get to Work Right Away
You often hear this buzzword at the closing of every sales pitch. However, you should explain exactly how your product will help the prospect make progress on the new project.
7. Innovative or Game-Changer
Innovation is the act of creating something new. It can be used to describe products and services, as well as businesses.
Salespeople can lose their credibility when they use the word “innovative” for a product or service, although this isn’t always true.
8. Make a Pivot
When your product isn’t performing as expected, it’s common to make tweaks and changes to it. This is referred to as pivoting. When talking to a prospect, be honest with them about when things went wrong and how things have improved.
9. Account-Based
“Account-based” is a buzzword that marketers use a lot, but it doesn’t mean much.
If the company is more accounts-based, explain how your solutions can help them generate more business.
10. Freemium
This doesn’t make sense. Something is either free or it isn’t.
And, if it’s high quality, it’s most likely not a free item.
11. Quick Wins
Don’t expect instant results. Investing takes time, so focus on building long-term relationships with your clients.
Instead of focusing on short-term gains, focus on building long-term relationships with your customers.
12. Circle Back
While this technique is great for keeping track of your activity, your salespeople should still make it a point to answer any incoming questions from customers.
They shouldn’t circle back because they often don’t remember what they were going to circle back to.
13. Simplify
The term “streamline” is thrown around a lot in sales, but what does it mean?
Avoid filler words that don’t add any value to your sales talk.
14. Revolutionary
This buzzword is as tired as “disrupt” and “innovative”.
Your potential customers are more concerned with how your product can help them, as opposed to how “revolutionary” it is.
15. Keep It Safe
This one’s actually pretty funny. Would you trust a salesperson who sold you something that wasn’t safe to use?
We certainly hope not!
16. Technology-Challenged
This old-fashioned expression should be avoided because it makes light of a person’s skills.
Explain to them that using your product is easy, and if they have any issues, your customer service team is there to help them.
17. Value Proposition
This phrase is confusing and should only be used with extreme caution. Just explain how you can help them and why they should pick you.
This is mainly achieved through your customer service and how you treat your customers.
This word doesn’t need to be used to convince anyone.
18. Upsell
Before you can attempt to sell more, you must first establish the value of your product or service. Only then can you effectively upsell and make more sales.
19. Take Charge
This term is major in the IT sales world, and it’s been done. If you’re in charge, use it.
Don’t make claims that you can’t prove.
20. Cutting-Edge Technology
“Cutting-edge” is a useless term that IT salespeople use to sound smart. It’s as useless as “streamlined.”.
Other words describe your product that can create enthusiasm. It should be obvious.
21. Sensitive
Any product, service, or experience should be simple, easy to use, and should deliver a positive experience.
If you want to give your customers a positive user experience with your product, you should allow them to try it for themselves. This will give them an idea of how intuitive it is to use.
22. Make Contact with the Ground.
Another worn-out cliche. Instead of saying this, be specific about when you’ll follow up with them.
23. When It’s All Said And Done
Get right to the point and avoid using this term. It’ll help you cut through all the unnecessary jargon and get straight to what matters.
“Our product will, on average, deliver you 25 qualified sales opportunities.”
24. Bleeding Edge
Bleeding-edge technology is a variation of a cutting-edge technology that hasn’t been fully tested and is, therefore, still somewhat experimental. It’s often more expensive than its more established counterpart.
Don’t just focus on making as many sales as possible. Instead, make sure you’re dependable.
25. Solutioneering
When a salesperson wants to appear as an expert in their field but has no knowledge of the product they’re selling, they use the term “solutioneering”.
If you want to be seen as an expert, don’t use words that make no sense.
26. Big Data
This term is used to describe the process of collecting, storing, organizing, and retrieving data. If your organization helps with this process, be sure to let them know so there is no confusion.
27. Make a Profit
Sales is all about making money. Monetize this, that, and everything else.
We know. What does it say about you that you make money out of these things?
If your products or services are known for generating a lot of revenue, then your customers probably come to you for this reason. Monetization has nothing to do with your sales pitch.
28. Effectiveness
If your products or services don’t increase productivity, why should anyone buy them? Your customers are likely aware of just how useful your products are, but they might not realize how efficient they are. By presenting them with hard numbers, you can demonstrate how your products increase efficiency.
Tell your prospects how your product will make their lives easier.
29. Make a 100% Donation
This probably isn’t possible, and with all the clients you manage, it’s highly unlikely. It’s just a cliche that gives an idealistic hope to your bosses.
When your clients work with you, explain how you will help them succeed.
30. Think Outside the Box
Instead of referring to this bland and generic phrase, tell your boss that you and your team use creative problem solving to come up with innovative solutions.
Give examples of past successes to help your prospects see that you have what it takes to do the job.
What are the Buzzwords of 2022?
Some of the most popular buzzwords for 2022 include “sustainability,” “wellness,” “mindfulness,” and “self-care.” These terms are often used in relation to environmentalism, health and fitness, mental health, and personal development. They suggest that individuals are looking for ways to live more sustainable, healthy, and balanced lives.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to close more deals and boost your sales numbers, then start incorporating these sales buzzwords into your vocabulary. By using the right language, you’ll come across as confident and knowledgeable – two things that are essential for any successful sale.
Need Help Automating Your Sales Prospecting Process?
LeadFuze gives you all the data you need to find ideal leads, including full contact information.
Go through a variety of filters to zero in on the leads you want to reach. This is crazy specific, but you could find all the people that match the following:
- A company in the Financial Services or Banking industry
- Who have more than 10 employees
- That spend money on Adwords
- Who use Hubspot
- Who currently have job openings for marketing help
- With the role of HR Manager
- That has only been in this role for less than 1 year
Want to help contribute to future articles? Have data-backed and tactical advice to share? I’d love to hear from you!
We have over 60,000 monthly readers that would love to see it! Contact us and let's discuss your ideas!
