• September 22, 2015

Is Swearing the Secret Sauce to Successful Sales Relationships?

Cuss words: they’re the dirty darlings of the English language that emerge in conversations between friends in dark bars, and at football games – forever banished to the shadows of casual conversation. (And also now appear on the Rated R version of Spiro.) They’re also powerful tools of persuasion that can help you gain the attention, trust, and respect of your prospects and customers if used correctly.

My dad knew the value of a well-placed swear word. He was an ad guy and at any given time he’d be pitching at least 20 different ideas to the jaded executives at Proctor & Gamble. His ace in the hole was a rehearsed, yet convincing, “ah-ha” moment punctuated by a swear word.

The Science Behind Swearing

Maybe it’s because they’re unexpected, or convey passion, or show your prospect that you’re willing to be vulnerable, but swear words definitely have an impact. We’ve done our own research at Spiro on the correlation between swearing and people’s performance in sales and found that people who swear a moderate amount have bigger pipelines. But we’re not the only ones who see something going on here.

A 2006 study from Northern Illinois University showed that observers reacted more positively to speakers who used the word “damn” a moderate amount in their speeches than those who did not. The study also showed that swearing did not significantly affect the speaker’s credibility. Basically, if you know your shit, tossing in a well-timed swear word can be a tool to add some psychological panache.

Other research shows that cursing can also improve social bonds by signaling that we are open, honest, self-deprecating and easygoing. Our prospects will find it easier to relate to us as human beings rather than just annoying salespeople because of our authenticity in a world full of phonies.

Use With Finesse…And Caution

With all this in mind, there’s always a time and a place for everything so use discretion and don’t be stupid about it. Dropping a casual “bullshit,” or a “fucking” for emphasis is an art. If you know your prospect is super conservative, then it’s probably a good idea to keep any dirty words in your pocket. If your prospect is a hard-hitting, busy business exec maybe a few curse words will make him think your balls are bigger than he or she thought.

We want to put the question out there to you, have you cursed when talking to prospects or customers? If so, what was the context and how did they react? Do you think attitudes about swearing are relaxing in the workplace? Do you like apps that use cuss words?

Photo courtesy of Howstuffworks.com