12 Phrases To Ban

12 silent credibility-killers hiding in your vocabulary.
(How many do you use?)

If “sales” makes you uncomfortable, you’re not alone.

Most client-facing professionals never received formal sales training.

And honestly? That’s okay.

You don’t need to become a “salesperson” to build strong business relationships.

But here’s what I’ve noticed after training thousands of professionals.

We all use certain phrases that accidentally push clients away.

Even when we’re trying to help.

The good news? Once you spot the patterns, they’re surprisingly easy to fix.

Look for these 12 phrases that might be killing your credibility:

❌ “Just checking in”
❌ “Trust me on this”
❌ “This is a no-brainer”
❌ “What’s your budget?”
❌ “I’ll circle back with you”
❌ “I wanted to touch base”
❌ “Let me be honest with you”
❌ “You’d be crazy not to do this”
❌ “Are you the decision maker?”
❌ “Following up on my last email”
❌ “We’re the best in the business”
❌ “What will it take to close this deal?”

Each one says “I’m not listening.”

Top performers say things like:

✅ “Who else should we include in this conversation?”
✅ “Based on similar situations, here’s what works…”
✅ “What kind of investment did you have in mind?”
✅ “I’ve been thinking about your challenge with…”
✅ “Let’s explore if this makes sense for you.”
✅ “Here’s how we’ve helped similar firms…”
✅ “Here’s that insight I mentioned about…”
✅ “What would success look like for you?”
✅ “I see three potential paths forward…”
✅ “I have an idea that might help you…”
✅ “I’ll share those details by Thursday.”
✅ “Here’s what I’m seeing…”

Small tweaks.
Massive impact.

The shift is simple:

Stop pushing your agenda.
Start solving their problems.

Your next conversation is your chance to practice.

You don’t need to become a “salesperson.”

You just need to be helpful, curious, and focused on what matters to your clients.