The longer you work
for a company
or in an industry,
the more you become
immersed in business jargon,
the unique language
that company or industry
speaks.
You use acronyms,
words, phrases
only insiders know.
Which can cause a problem
when communicating
with prospects
and others on the outside.
“When you use jargon,
you run the risk
of making people feel dumb
because they don’t get
what you’re saying.
No one likes
having someone talk
over their heads.
When that happens,
we usually take a step back.
We stop listening
and get defensive
—which is the last thing
you want people to do
when you’re trying to
establish a connection.”
A loved one in sales
tests all of his sales pitches
on me,
someone outside his industry.
I tell him when I don’t understand
an acronym, word or phrase,
and he eliminates that
from his vocabulary.
Jargon can kill a sale.
Be wary of it.