Communicate clearly and beware of technical jargon in your conversations with customers!
15th September 2023
Communicate clearly and beware of technical jargon in your conversations with customers!
15th September 2023
To build the strongest and most positive relationships with customers, being clear in our communication is a fundamental need. Have you ever found yourself communicating with a customer and realise they are not grasping what you are trying to say?
Could it be because you use technical shorthand to describe a process or procedure that is unique to your organisation or business sector and something your customer is unfamiliar with?
The need to be extremely clear in communication with an appropriate balance between people focus and technical focus in how you speak with others is at the heart of providing excellent service and building strong relationships.
While technical language and jargon have some potential benefits, inappropriate or overuse can also make communication more challenging for your customers and lead to confusion, disengagement and people feeling excluded.
A quick way to change your approach is to just give the full form of that phrase in the first instance, for example: “While we’re talking about the importance of NPS or Net Promoter Score, we need to ensure that every team member is aware of the significant part they play in achieving the best NPS possible and continuing to build on that.”
Warren Buffett’s annual letter to his shareholders is widely regarded as a must-read for investors and is a great example of clear, straightforward communication. He famously aims to make the letter accessible as well as informative, and he’s consciously careful not to include too much jargon. To keep it readable, he writes as if he’s talking to his two sisters, as even though they are both highly intelligent, they are not experts in accounting or finance. They will understand plain English and jargon may puzzle them. His goal is to give them the information he would wish them to supply him if their positions were reversed.
Keeping our language and communication simple, clear, and straightforward and using technical language and jargon with care will ensure that everyone is included and can participate fully in the conversation, meeting, or presentation.
If you would like help to improve your communications with customers please do get in touch about our Customer Service Excellence training.
Read our latest articles
Explore our latest blogs, written on topics to help you and your people thrive at work.
Building optimism as part of your customer service ethos
Optimism is a fundamental characteristic that shapes how service givers interact with customers, solve problems and contribute to the overall success of an organisation. Optimism fuels a positive outlook, encourages creativity in problem-solving and builds trust with customers. It empowers service givers to approach challenges as opportunities, ensuring that customers always feel heard, valued and […]
Discover
5 ways to improve customer care in your organisation
Knowing that service-givers in an organisation care about their customers and work diligently to do their best for them is an important factor in delivering service excellence. Therefore, a clear focus on customer care should be at the heart of any organisation. Delivering exceptional service strengthens relationships while boosting customer loyalty and satisfaction. To truly […]
Discover
Empathy in Customer Service: Strategies for handling challenging situations
Empathy is essential in customer service, as it helps build trust and ensures customers feel heard and valued. In our discussions with customers, there is a strong desire and need to help service givers professionally express empathy. Showing empathy is a vital service skill and can turn a negative experience into a positive one. Below […]
Discover
Pathway to thriving and success: building your team’s resilience
As today’s workforce navigates a dynamic environment, the need for skills that enhance wellbeing, resilience and optimism is an important priority. By focusing on their people’s needs, leaders can provide tools to empower their teams with confidence and resilience. This foundation strengthens collaborative efforts, fostering productive and positive workplaces that drive both individual and organisational […]
Discover
Mastering three vital customer service skills in frontline financial services
Working within the financial sector around the world has demonstrated to us at MGI the importance of three key customer service skills for all in the frontline to master. To create positive customer experiences, build trust, and retain customers requires an excellent balance of both people and technical skills and knowledge. Whether it’s handling a […]
Discover
The fundamental people skills needed by managers and leaders
Effective leadership and management are built on a solid foundation of people skills. Wherever an individual sits in an organisation, the ability to communicate respectfully, take ownership, focus on solutions and contribute positively to the organisation is paramount. These essential skills define how managers lead, inspire and collaborate with others and fostering them will lay […]
Discover
Connect with us
Ready to discover what we can do for you?