If you work in an industry with any degree of complexity it is likely that there is a lot of jargon used by insiders. Jargon is a great way to quickly communicating about tools, tactics, and concepts. But it can also swiftly kill your sales.
In many industries, jargon is shorthand. It serves a very clear purpose to speed through conversations, but it does not belong in any conversation where you are speaking to a potential customer. Jargon, used on your blog, in presentations, and especially when prospecting, builds a wall between you and those you are trying to reach. It leaves the hearer, especially if they aren’t clear on the precise meaning of your jargon, feeling talked down to, stupid, or worse, as if you think they’re stupid.
Your goal in your points of contact with prospects and customers is to build trust, and jargon does the exact opposite. Jargon puts you in the club, and them outside of it. They may be comfortable enough to ask you to define your jargon, but why would you put them in a position of having to do that? It is your job to constantly put yourself in their shoes, to think like them. It is your job to understand their pain points and to help them find solutions to their problems. This doesn’t happen when you try to sound like an authority (if that’s what you think jargon does). This happens when you actively listen and then explain your solutions to them in a common language.
If you’re having trouble relating to this concept, remember what it feels like to purchase something complex when you have no expertise. It may be tech, a new car, or an insurance policy. We all know exactly how it feels to be sold to by an expert. That expert can make us feel secure, or as if we have no clue. If they’re good at what they do, you feel comfortable asking for clarity, and they take the time to give it to you. If instead, they approach you with jargon you don’t understand, my bet is you don’t purchase and go find someone else who makes you feel more comfortable. That’s exactly the person you need to be when you talk to your customers. The one who makes them comfortable by speaking clearly and plainly in a language they understand.
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Photo credit: Jargon, buzzwords and meaningless expressions via photopin (license).