Use Plain English with Your Customers

   When Possible, Use English. That’s the headline for an article in the May 2 edition of The Wall Street Journal. That advice is given to financial advisors who might speak jargon to their clients. It turns out that people are happier and more satisfied when you speak plainly to them.

   Invesco Ltd., a fund managing firm, surveyed 800 of their customers to find out what would make them happy. Using ordinary speech to describe products and investing make a big impact on the customers. The WSJ article gave some vivid examples:

“Finance people may talk about “equities,” “fixed income” and “asset allocation.” Normal people talk about stocks, bonds and diversification.”

   The point is that we tend to lapse into our specialized area of expertise using jargon that is confusing or meaningless to other people. Since jargon is endemic to our way of doing any kind of business or occupation, the chances are that you talk “funny” to your customers too.

   If you want to make a sale and keep a good customer, you have to relate to your customer in a way that doesn’t demean him or make her look foolish. You can always show off your knowledge and vocabulary to people in your field. When talking to ordinary people, make the effort to describe what they need in terms that make sense to them.

   Another tactic the customers who were surveyed disliked was trying to scare people into a sale. This touches a raw nerve in many people. In my life I’ve heard countless people tell me that if a salesperson asks the question, “Don’t you care about your family?” my friends or acquaintances would answer with a resounding, “NO!” Scare tactics are not necessary and they irritate people almost as much as jargon.

   If you want to know the secret of excellent communication, you have to understand that your customer wants respect and honesty from you. Don’t talk down to your customers; don’t try to impress your customer by making him or her feel inferior. Try to imagine yourself in his shoes. Treat her the way you want someone else to treat your mother, wife or daughter. Stop trying to put yourself firs, and put that customer in first place. You need a few things to succeed in business: you need good customers and good employees.

   Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay cosmetics, used to tell her consultants to look each customer in the eye and pretend that the customer was wearing a sign on her forehead that said, “Make me feel special.” That technique worked beautifully for Mary Kay. It’s still sound advice for anyone who deals with people.

Have a terrific day!

Patricia