We know that tech companies have a reputation for talking in jargon. But it’s not big and it’s not clever. What is clever is when tech companies approach things from a simple perspective: we’ve listened and understood your problem, and we’ve proposed a solution that is going to help you.
According to an article in Forbes, there are several explanations of why people use jargon. In some cases, it’s to cover the fact that they don’t have all the details or knowledge they should have. In others, it’s because they feel it’s the best way to communicate their niche expertise and intelligence. And it could easily be that speaking in riddles convinces some people to buy something that they really don’t understand or even know if they need.
Bringing clarity to technology
Software and tech companies can be particularly bad at this. Of course, while we’re designing, developing and testing complex tech solutions, we use a lot of jargon and technical language – it’s useful, it helps us get things done faster and it makes a positive difference to the outcome.
But in terms of telling our markets what we’re all about, simple is best. The clearer and more supportive we can be, the more likely we are to bring our customers along with us. Tech companies should be approachable, and jargon puts a serious psychological barrier between companies and their customers. So much so, that customers will often walk away and look for something they can understand.
So you might have the best solution, but be completely unable to sell it.
How to mind your language
There are a few things you can do to make sure you’re talking to the right people in the right way.
Think like your audience – this sounds simple, but so few tech companies really do it well. Every company has a range of different audiences: employees, investors, partners, customers communities, for example. The more you know about your audience, the better you can tailor your language to them. If you’re selling a complex product to a CIO who understands the complexity, a bit of jargon is fine. If there’s limited tech understanding, limit the language too.
Actively look for simple benefits – your tech should be solving a problem. Focus on demonstrating that you understand the problem and state in simple terms the benefits your solution delivers. A clear proposition is a far easier sell.
Listen more, talk less – we all love to talk about how great our technology is and how smart we all are. But the more we listen to the people around us – the people who need our tech and our contemporaries who are designing similar stuff – the more we’ll learn about what really matters.
At ISB Global, we believe in being clear, honest and transparent. We’re clear about the difference we want to make and we’re clear about how we can use our technical and commercial expertise to get there. To find out more about our waste and recycling software solutions and how they can transform your business, contact us today.
