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.

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