On a recent flight I heard the flight attendant state that in the event of an emergency landing: “Don’t use the aft exit.”
Does everyone know that aft means the back of the plane? Why not just say “back of the plane?”
This example is indicative of similar scenarios your customers face every day. Your marketing copy or sales person will say something that is completely over the head of the customer.
Later, when the customer needs that information, it won’t be available because it wasn’t ever mentally processed and stored in her memory.
This void of understanding can lead to critical problems, particularly when the information has lifesaving ramifications.
Not everything you communicate will have life or death consequences. However, failure to communicate will lead to customer frustration, product returns, and loss of sales.
When complete understanding is essential, don’t use industry specific jargon.
To guarantee you’re speaking the words that your customer will understand, you’ll need to speak your customer’s language.