Avoid “Techno-babble”

You are a professional salesperson and you know your products exceptionally well. You know them so well that often times you will rattle off acronyms and phrases that are commonly used within the company and or your industry. You use these terms and phrases so routinely that you say them without even knowing that you are doing so. I call this “techno-babble.”

Here’s the problem: when you meet with customers, you throw these acronyms around and you speak some of this techno-babble while describing your products and you don’t even realize that you have completely confused your customer. They don’t understand what you are saying, or the value of what you are saying! It is the equivalent of speaking in a different language.

You might not even know that you are doing this, and depending on the person that you are talking with, they may or may not, speak up and ask for clarification. If they don’t speak up and ask for clarity, you might think that you just gave a great description of your products, how they work, and how they can help your customer, but your customer only understood part of what you said. The consequence: confusion, (you probably gave your customer a headache), a weakened value proposition, and most likely you won’t get the sale. Another salesperson will come along and when they talk about their products, they will do so in a basic manner that makes sense to a customer to understand. Result: they will win the business, not you.

How could using some industry jargon ruin a sale? Here’s why: you and your customer were not on the same “frequency” when you were discussing how your products work and how they would help your customer. You as the salesperson were on one frequency, and your customer was on another. This results in a disconnect. In order to sell successfully and professionally, you have to get on your client’s frequency. You must see their world and the problems that they are trying to solve from their lens. You have to listen and understand what they say, how they say it, and the words that they use to describe their needs and problems, and then mirror their level of communication (or frequency).

Be adaptive and adjust accordingly to the person that you are speaking with. Avoid losing them with “techno-babble.” It has no value and is one of the surest ways to lose your customer’s attention (and business). I will leave you with this visualization so that you remember how important this practice is. Have you ever asked a really intelligent person what you thought was a pretty basic and straightforward question? Only to hear them respond back with a very long-winded technical response with words that you didn’t understand? It’s not a good feeling, right? You are either completely lost and confused, or you begin to daydream while they continue to speak over your head. What’s the result? You are regretting that you asked the question. You just want the conversation to be over! This is what your customer is thinking when you speak techno-babble.

Avoid the fancy acronyms, phrases and techno-babble. Let your competition make that mistake while you enjoy winning another sale because you knew how to best keep it simple by getting on your customer’s frequency!

-Happy Selling!

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