3 Reasons Why You Should Avoid Using the Word Quality When Selling

Selling a product can be so much fun. Exciting as it is many sellers fall short when describing about their products or services. Just browsing the ads section of my daily newspaper I see a lot of advertisers use the word quality to persuade readers about their products or company. Is this the right way of doing it? Let me get started by asking you a question: what is quality? Does it mean that your products are supreme? Or that your service is excellent? Well here are a few definitions of quality which I have taken from dictionary.com:

• character with respect to fineness, or grade of excellence
• high grade; superiority; excellence

When a buyer describes his product or service as being high in quality what he means is that his product is of high superiority. His service is excellent and incredibly good. However, how do your buyers know that your product is great or your service is over the top? Those are general and vague descriptions! This article will cover why you should avoid using the word quality at all cost when writing about your products or services.

1. Too many companies are already using the word quality

Just think about it for a second. How many companies tout that their products are of great quality? Many for sure. Just browse any websites selling merchandise or services. It won’t take long for you to find a company that describes its range of products as first class quality and that they offer supreme quality service. Oh really? These companies are probably out of ideas or use the short cut by just listing quality as their product benefit. How can a furniture supplier selling bulky items uses the word quality to describe its items just like another supplier selling clothes? Does the word quality mean the same for the furniture buyer as the clothes purchaser? Of course not! Which brings me to my second point…

2. Quality is not specific enough

Avoid the word quality to describe the benefit of your products. Instead of using the word quality, try to describe how your customers perceive your quality merchandise. For example, if you are selling baby clothes the quality of your products may be as follows:

• comfortable fit
• soft fabric
• safe to use (no harmful chemicals)
• resist most stains and odors
• durable
• waterproof

Customers who buy baby clothes for their child won’t think: this bib is made of good quality. Instead they will think: wow such soft fabric and comfortable. Does this really resist most stains? And after a messy ketchup spill the mother realized: yes it is!

So what if you are selling bulky furniture? How will your product benefits differ? Again, look at the benefits such as:

• handcrafted (which makes it unique)
• use first grade teakwood
• withstand the elements and age with grace
• resistant to many chemical reagents including acids
• durable
• resistant to water and rot

3. You confuse your customers

How does your customer know exactly what you mean when you say your service is of first quality? What does your company really mean by that? Its quite confusing isn’t it for your customers? Especially when many suppliers are saying the very same thing!

You can set yourself apart from the other suppliers by writing how exactly do you match up by offering quality service. Take some time analyzing your company’s strength to determine what is it you want to say in relation to your phenomenal service. Some ideas to get you by:

• Will ship your items within 48 hours (guaranteed!)
• Your email is replied within 12 hours (or we will give you a $10 gift certificate)
• No hassle returns service
• Friendly staff who are always ready to help you!

Final say on this

You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can’t get them across, your ideas won’t get you anywhere. -Lea Iacocca, Former Chairman and CEO, Chrysler Corporation

I hope you will challenge yourself to describe your products or services without using the word quality (ever!). Its too easy, common and is not specific enough for your customers to differentiate from one supplier to the next. So what are the alternatives to the word quality that you have used for your products or services?

Leave a Reply