Do Your Potential Customers Understand You?
You’ve made your business plan, created your website, and made your social media accounts. Your business is ready to go, but where are your customers?
It can be frustrating to feel like you have done all the work but still can’t gain customers.
Here’s the secret not many people know: the reason you’re not gaining customers is that people don’t understand you.
Customers have lots of options when it comes to buying. They’re not going to listen to anyone they find confusing or boring.
They’ll just go find someone else who does it better.
Below are 3 easy ways to communicate more effectively with your potential customers – so they can both listen and understand exactly what you’re saying.
1. Avoid Industry Speak
Industry speak might make you feel like a professional, but it is confusing to those on the outside. Think about watching a show about doctors on TV. You don’t know what they’re talking about with 90% of the acronyms or medical terms they use.
You know what’s happening because you see it on-screen. But in writing, there isn’t a screen to help your audience understand what’s happening.
Here’s how to fix it: Talk to a friend about what you’re writing. Make sure this friend is not familiar with whatever topic you’re writing about. If they look confused, ask them where they got lost. This way, you know exactly where you are likely to lose customers and can change it.
Communicating in the simplest and clearest way makes you sound like an authority. This works way better than using confusing jargon. Only people who’ve truly mastered a concept can make it simple enough for outsiders to understand.
In your business, you want to welcome your customers. The language you use when speaking to them is a great way to do that.
2. Don’t Be Condescending
Most of us have a story about when we were talking to someone, and they started to be rude.
Here’s mine.
It starts with the fact I know very little about cars. I can drive them, but most of the mechanics go over my head. But I do know a few small facts.
So, I was talking with a friend, and I said one of the car facts I do know. And it made sense. The friend I was talking to said, “Wow you actually do know something!”
How rude is that? He sounded like a jerk, so I left the conversation.
Unfortunately for all of us, it can be easy to slip into a condescending tone when we’re talking about something we know a lot about.
Even if it’s an accident, it can still have a detrimental impact on your ability to build a relationship with a potential customer.
Have a coworker review your work to make sure it sounds right. You can also use the tone detection feature in Grammarly.
A clear message makes it easy for the customer to understand your point. So, keep your message concise and your tone pleasant.
3. Don’t Try To Sound Cute
Overloading your content with slang or cliche sayings can make your writing sound unprofessional and undermine your authority.
Puns, cliches, and sarcasm don’t translate well into writing. They can be confusing to read and take away from the overall message you seek to convey.
That doesn’t mean it’s not ok to add humor to your writing. It is! Just make sure it is still contributing to your point. Not confusing people.
Conveying your authority while also sounding welcoming and approachable helps customers feel drawn to you. They can trust what you’re saying without feeling put off by your verbiage.
Sometimes, it can feel like you’re still not gaining customers. If you’re shouting from the mountaintops and still being ignored, it might be time to check out your writing.
See if your writing includes too much industry speak that could confuse your customers. If that’s not the case and the vocabulary you use is fine, check your tone. Could readers view it as condescending?
If your writing turns your customers away, getting anyone to listen to what you have to say becomes a struggle. Which means no one will buy from you.
Having a clear message with good information is a great way to get readers engaged with your content. They will keep coming back to you for more because they know you’re both the person who understands them, and the person they understand.
To learn more about how ClearBrand can help you craft a message that appeals straight to your customer’s deepest desires, schedule a call with a marketing specialist today.