Simple Language is Key
I recently received a message on LinkedIn that started, I am [name removed] from [name of company removed”, an FnB company in the B2B SaaS space helping restaurants retain better and build their brand online.”.
By this time, many would have deleted the message. What I think the gentleman meant to say was “My name is … and I am [title] for [name of company]. We specialise in providing Software as a Service to restaurants to help them retain customers and build awareness of their services online.”
Whilst this may not appear much of a change, it removes the jargon. When we're selling to someone we don't know, we need to know who they are and what signals they understand. If we’re face to face with them, we can see whether they’re male or female, younger or older, and may even be able to hazard a highly subjective guess at their wealth, sophistication, educational level, economic success and PC literacy. The next part of the interaction is to check whether these guesses are right.
When we’re contacting them over the phone or (in this case) LinkedIn, we only have a name.
We could do some research on LinkedIn, Facebook, Google or others to see if they have a profile and picture. If there’s little/nothing, there may be something available about their business.
Whatever happens, an introduction in simple language is best. My own reaction if someone approaches me with nothing but jargon is, “If I can't understand you, can I trust you?” More to the point, I will probably (as I did) just ignore the message and spend my time on things I do understand. The product on offer may be just what’s needed, but if a busy business owner can't understand the message quickly without having to look up “SaaS” or similar, they're unlikely to respond.
“Plain English“ is becoming the standard in certain UK businesses, mainly due to customers complaining that they can’t understand terms and conditions or other aspects of their relationship. One of my banks has gone as far as re-heading the columns we know as “Debits” and “Credits” to “Money Out” and “Money In”.
Jargon doesn't impress. When talking with peers in the same industry, it’s fine. When talking to customers, simple language works best. If they understand it, they're more likely to trust the seller.
I have spent more than half my life delivering change in different world markets from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With more than 20 years in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management. I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. My websiteprovides a full picture of my portfolio of services. For strategic questions that you should be asking yourself, follow me at @wkm610.
Labels: Customer Care, Selling, Strategy
posted by William Martin @ 13:47
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