Coaching for Conscious Communication with Prospects

BY Tim Londergan
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Words have power. Words can excite, calm, attract and repel. Certain words can annoy and be downright abrasive. Every industry has buzzwords that bubble up and take hold. Suddenly, they become entwined with regular conversation and misused, forsaking their intended meaning. Annoying business jargon is a turnoff. It does nothing to further sales goals. Yet, it creeps into emails and conversations. It may be time to review your reps’ communication with prospects and realize that these useless words obstruct a clear message.

Strive for clear communication with prospects

Jargon has its place. It makes us feel connected and it’s cool among our peers. But it may not translate well to our target audience. We use jargon because it feels convenient, comfortable, and safe. Writing for smartbrief​.com, May Habib, offers a list of twenty corporate buzzwords that should be avoided. Habib’s perspective is literary, humorous and extremely helpful. A self-​proclaimed champion of clear writing, Habib advocates cutting out wordiness and suggests crisp alternatives. Simplicity is key in business writing. The list of buzzwords is considerable. You may want to use it in a sales meeting or toss the words out and observe your team’s reaction.

2020 produced numerous buzzwords

Highlighting the most annoying business jargon of 2021, another article finds contemporary examples of terms that emerged during the frustrations of last year. In 2019, 38% of business professionals surveyed claim they often hear business buzzwords in a typical day. 28% hear them way too much. These terms are so generic or used so broadly they have lost their meaning. Your sellers may use these terms to build rapport and empathize with their clients, but aren't we all a little tired of hearing "the new normal" and "pivot?" These terms add nothing to a conversation. They obscure the clarity of communication. Plus, they alienate others who aren’t sure of the true meaning. Do any of these phrases appear when your sales team communicates with prospects? Using clear, concise communication with clients will help them sell more.

Use persuasive words

Words like, “new”, “free” and “because” have wonderfully persuasive power. Coach your team members to substitute empty buzzwords with helpful, powerful words found in this article by sumo​.com. Based in marketing psychology, the words work because of their persuasive power. Words that trigger emotion, action and urgency perform much better than the latest buzzwords. I've found that words conveying prestige or power trigger the imagination in the sales process. Imagine your team’s success in communication with prospects. These words will help your team accomplish their goals.

As you address today’s pressing challenges, your team must have more integrity with business language. They need to be comfortable discussing your product or service head-​on in the business community, without the vagueness of jargon. Using powerful words of persuasion and crafting direct, well-​defined statements, your team can prepare and deliver a clear selling message.

Photo by Ana Itonishvili on Unsplash


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