The A - Z of Networking; Dump the jargon

It happens all the time, and pretty much at every networking meeting I go to. Most people are not aware they are doing it. But, it isn’t serving them!
So, what am I talking about? It’s when a business owner starts to talk about their business to a room of people who know NOTHING about that business, and they talk in a language that no one gets. We call it jargon. 

I know that everyone wants to make a fantastic impression and want to be seen as knowledgeable, credible, and an expert in their field. However, we all need to appreciate that no one else knows our business like we do. Using long words in long sentences only confuses, and abbreviations, specialist terms relevant to your industry, terminology or the lingo, often sounds like complete gobbledygook to the rest of us. 

Here lies the problem especially in the 1 minute round when all you’ve achieved is people wondering and trying to work out exactly what you actually do. Then you wonder why no one comes rushing to talk you after the meeting!

Getting your message clear and concise, in a simple easy to use language is imperative. Dump the jargon, imagine you are explaining what you do to a 7 year old, and then you will have a good chance that people will understand your business and how you help your customers.  

At WMB we run a regular Advanced Networking workshop and spend 3 hours helping business owners create a memorable 60 second pitch, without jargon, and using a language that everyone gets. Check out our workshops and come and join us if you think your message needs to improve.