December 23, 2019
Do you want an NPK of 26-0-3 or 36-0-6?
Unless you’re selling to your peers, you almost certainly shouldn’t be using the jargon of your craft to talk to your clients, customers, prospects, or leads.
What do I mean by jargon?
Here’s a definition from Google:
Jargon—special words or expressions that are used by a particular profession or group and are difficult for others to understand
Here are some examples of jargon from different disciplines…
- a typographer talking about kerning
- a photographer talking about f/stop
- a copywriter talking about perfect progressive
- a lawyer talking about ex parte
- a landscaper talking about NPK
- a developer talking about technical debt
- a designer talking about grid systems
I don’t care how important or self-evident you think your particular jargon is, it is difficult for your buyers to understand. And using language that is difficult for your potential buyers to understand is a Very Bad Idea™.
It’s like telling jokes in French to a Spanish-speaking crowd. No laughs, no connection, no value, no sale.
It is part of your job to connect with your buyers. And learning their language is a heck of a lot easier than teaching them yours.
Yours,
—J