Eliminating jargon: the need for simple prospecting
Eliminating jargon: the need for simple prospecting
When it comes to prospecting there simply is no place for marketing speak or jargon.
Quite simply your job is to reach out to someone in a direct, personal way and very quickly make them feel that you may be worth pursuing a quick conversation with.
Your prospecting mail, then, will be outlining a solution or a result.
And solutions or results should be clear as day.
- There’s no need to go into complex detail
- There’s no need to wow anyone with science
- There’s no need to employ descriptive and emotive marketing phrases (like awesome, unique, groundbreaking, game-changing…)
- There’s certainly no need to wear your learning so distinctly on your shoulder (our digital strategy employs micro-targeting across multi-channels to create synergies that traverse the customer experience…)
What is jargon?
For the purposes of this exhortation to ‘cut the crap’ I am relying on the definitions of jargon given by Collins:
jargon
(ˈdʒɑrgən )
noun
1. incoherent speech; gibberish
2. a language or dialect unknown to one so that it seems incomprehensible or outlandish
3. the specialised vocabulary and idioms of those in the same work, profession, etc., as of sportswriters or social workers (a somewhat derogatory term, often implying unintelligibility, see also slang)
4. speech or writing full of long, unfamiliar, or roundabout words or phrases
Jargon is specialized vocabulary that risks losing your audience.
- Incoherent
- Gibberish
- Incomprehensible
- Outlandish
- Unintelligible
- Too long
- Unfamiliar
- Roundabout
And losing your audience is a very careless thing to do when prospecting.
Your goal is to communicate quickly, clearly, succinctly and like a person. Jargon is speaking using long, unfamiliar words that can be hard to understand. It is a long-winded, roundabout way of talking.
And what’s more, it positions you as a *|JOB TITLE|* reaching out to a *|JOB TITLE|*.
When what would be more effective would be to come across as a person reaching out to a person.
After all, people don’t do business with Commercial Directors, they do business with people they like who offer solutions they like.
Prospecting and rocket science
But what if your solution is incredibly complex or technical?
How can you pitch rocket science without a certain amount of jargon?
Let’s take a step back.
You need to sell in a new technical solution to an industry problem, right?
Probably not.
What you actually need to do is avoid going into technicalities. It doesn’t matter how complicated your offering is because you are not trying to close the deal or sell the solution right now.
What you are trying to do is simply to make a connection by piquing interest.
And that can easily be done without jargon.
Enough talk – give us an example
Feel free to adapt this template to your own prospecting campaigns.
It works a treat.
It can be used by pretty much anyone wanting to sell a complicated offering without jargon.
The last word
Really sorry.
I’ve just realized that I’ve spent 700 words saying what could be said in 13.
(Well, hopefully there wasn’t too much jargon in it?)
Here is the simplest way to explain:
Set your pitch out simply – and rely on curiosity to do the rest.
