“You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”
— The Princess Bride
That was the line that popped into my head last Tuesday at Costco.
It makes me laugh every time. But it also feels surprisingly relevant to business.
Sometimes we think we’re saying one thing.
The other person hears something else entirely.
We were there for formula and baby wipes. Because little ones? They are expensive. If buying in bulk means we don’t have to come back for 2 months, we’ll load up that cart. We will do it every time.
While we were there, we decided to upgrade to the Executive Membership. We’ve been discussing booking travel soon. Multiple people have told me that booking through Costco can save you more than doing it alone. They said you get more perks and cash back.
So we head to customer service, explain that we’re upgrading because we want to take advantage of the travel benefits. So in my mind, the equation was simple:
Upgrade → Access travel perks → Save money.
But when we got to customer service, the rep smiles and says, “Oh, that would be through our credit card.”
Pause..
I look at my husband. He looks at me bewildered as well.
I say, “Oh, I thought those benefits came with the Executive Membership.”
She replies, “They do. But along with the credit card you can get 5% back.”
We were using the same words, talking about benefits and maximum value, but we weren’t picturing the same thing. The message was murky somewhere.
And then she repeats multiple times. She says, “I’m not trying to sell you anything.” She adds, “But that’s how you get the maximum cash back.”
And maybe she wasn’t. But I was honestly more confused than ever.
I wondered if that was how I sounded when giving my pitch to prospects. Am I making them more confused? Was I clear about my offer? Do I sound like I have a hidden agenda? I hope not!
Don’t get me wrong, I have a background in retail and don’t think there’s anything wrong with upsells. And nothing wrong with maximizing value either.
But our clients don’t live inside our offer.
If the best results require an extra step, say that.
If the premium outcome requires another investment, own that.
If there’s an additional piece that offers “maximum return,” we need to explain it upfront.
I wasn’t getting the answer that I was looking for. We didn’t want to hold up the line. So, I quickly asked for some pamphlets. I could read through them to understand what the Executive Membership entails. I also wanted to know if the credit card is necessary or if we needed to upgrade at all.
“No agenda” doesn’t mean you don’t sell. You can absolutely sell. Just don’t make me feel like I’m being sold to.
It means that what we say matches what our clients’ experience. That the benefits are clear before the decision is made. It means our client never has to say, “Wait… I thought that was included.”
There are often so many layers included in offers and, don’t even mention the fine print. Thats another newsletter in itself. However, the businesses that win are the ones who communicate simply.
Final Thoughts
So here’s where I landed. Buying in bulk made sense to us because we knew what we were getting. The value was clear. We’re still not sure if we’re going to upgrade because we were confused about the benefits.
And that’s the point.
When we know exactly what we’re getting, and what we’re not, we can make confident decisions.
As business owners, we don’t need to avoid selling. We just need to say what’s included and say what costs extra. When our offer is clear, our integrity speaks for itself and I want people to stay because they trust me.
Now I’m curious, if you’ve had it, do you think the Executive Membership is worth it?
Shamayne Brown is a virtual assistant and the founder of Camp Virtual Assistance.
She works with solo professionals and small business owners who are ready to invest in their business and need the support that she offers.
She specializes in creating email newsletters as well as other admin and creative design tasks.
Click here to connect on LinkedIn.
Click here to set up a discovery call.
