In today's high-tech world, it is impossible to know what your prospects know without doing some research. There are some grave dangers in making assumptions. It's dangerous to get caught up in the jargon of your product or service and assume your customers know the language. But it's also dangerous to talk down to clients who have a great deal of industry knowledge. The best rule is to assume that you don't know, and then find out.
ACTION ITEM
Make a 3 x 5 card that simply says: “Speak Their Language!” Keep it visible around your work space as a constant reminder.
When a sales manager called a prospect, he began to explain his products and services by conveying the most rudimentary facts and figures. The problem was that the gentleman on the other end of the call was an engineering professor in the area of interest they were discussing. The more the sales manager talked on, the more upset the prospect became. Finally, he ended the call because he felt insulted. A safe question to ask is: “How familiar are you with this subject area or this product or service, and what would be helpful for you to know?” Let customers tell you what they want to know and then pick up the conversation from there.
TAKEAWAY
You will rarely get in trouble when you let
customers tell you what they need to know.