How to Communicate Better With Your Customers

Do You Communicate in the Same Language Your Audience Speaks?

One of the greatest challenges a business has when communicating on the web is getting out of their own heads to communicate in a way that resonates with target audiences.

Over the many years I have worked with technology companies, consumer goods, retail and service businesses seeking to increase leads and sales from search, social media, video and email, language had created a barrier. Their content was effectively preventing their businesses from reaching more prospects and customers online.

Industry Jargon Can Create Barriers to Sale

All too often, content relies heavily on industry jargon which comes naturally to them, but not for their audiences. Still, many fight hard for this approach, believing that if they “dumb it down” content for broader audiences their authority among peers will be diminished. They forget that they are not selling to their peers, and that their audiences (customers and media especially) do not use that language when seeking a solution to their problem.
ALL sales are about solving a problem.

Industry jargon typically creates two barriers to fully benefiting from a digital presence;

1. The content (which leads to the product or service) will not qualify to appear in search engines the way customers search.
2. Content often fails to answer the most popular question asked when a customer begins their quest for a solution…best “_____________”.

Speak Human

It is imperative to remember that behind every device, click and view is a human. So, instead of using acronyms, technical language and insider knowledge when publishing digital content, businesses would be well-served to use conversational language.

Industry language doesn’t need to be completely eliminated. It should, however, be balance it with language that real people use.

5 Ways to Communicate Better With Customers

1. Acknowledge the problem your business solves for customers/clients.
2. Communicate exactly why your solution is the best.
3. Answer questions a customer would ask before purchasing your solution.
4. Make it easy for customers to find the technical details on your website, when they are ready (I explain this in detail in my book Million Dollar Websites).
5. Make all of the above customer and search-engine friendly to increase visibility during all three phases of the purchase decision.

Do this, and both you and your customers will truly be speaking the same language!