We’ve all been there before. You’re attending a business networking event, symposium or some other format and we’re excited to hear the guest presentation.
Then it happens, the speaker gets on stage and they will usually open with a bit about themselves and why their qualified to be the one presenting. Forget the fact that in most cases, they are the reason so many people turned out. (More about that in another post).
When they finally get to the “good stuff”, if they still have your attention, they don’t for much longer. Why? Because they’re the expert and every painful point in their presentation is solidifying that they know more than we do, they know their business and industry so well that they forget just how many people need to understand the words they use in order to understand why they are important.
Is That What’s Happening in Your Marketing?
For many businesses, that’s what’s happening with their marketing. We want to sound like an expert, and we forget that not everyone who needs what we have understands the language we use inside of our business or our industry.
It’s great that you can speak to that level of expertise, except when your customers don’t understand. What makes it worse is that many of them don’t want to feel “left out”, so instead of asking and risking feeling incompetent, they will simply move on to someone who can explain it simple.
Common Sense, Isn’t Common.
I’m not a fan of the phrase “Common Sense”. The reason is simple, what’s common to me, is not common to everyone around me. We each have varying backgrounds and differing levels of experience. So, when we assume the lead role as an expert, we often forget that our customers don’t understand the language we’re using and it’s turning them off.
Now, I know some of you are aware that your industry lingo could confuse your customers, the problem is, if you’re aware, then you’re so close to your industry that it’s even more difficult for you to step back and remain objective when determining what language you need to use.
Here’s 3 ways to help you overcome the challenge of finding the right words for your marketing:
1. Conduct your own market research, reach out to existing and past customers
2. Use simple survey questions about your business to assess the language your customers use
3. Hire an outside consultant to provide an objective and strategic perspective of your business from the eyes of your customer.
Schedule a Call with me today and let’s talk about how we can work together to create a message that invites your customers to take action and buy from you.