Using technical terms in an effort to “speak” a prospect’s language is likely to delay or deter the buying decision, according to a recent study.

The study centered on businesses where jargon and buzzwords are par for the course — those in the tech industry.

If those high-tech buyers can be put off and confused, think of how that language would confuse prospects in less techy industries such as manufacturing and services.

What the research says

The study found that sales and marketing collateral for high-tech products was teeming with terms prospects didn’t fully understand. How bad was it? Only 3% of the prospects studied fully understood most of the terms used in the sales pieces.

That language made many prospects concerned that the products would be difficult to install and maintain. Prospects who were the least knowledgeable also turned out to be the most likely to put off a purchase.

The study also showed that salespeople tended to use the same confusing terms in their presentations that were sprinkled throughout their sales literature.

What you can do now

Before using technical terms in any presentation, test them out on a range of existing customers. Look for body language that hints that a customer’s confused, like a furrowed brow or wandering eyes.

Tip: Put together a short cheat sheet of technical terms or complex descriptions that occur often. Then ask for input from customers on how to change your more jargon-heavy descriptions into everyday language anyone can understand. Just make sure the language you end up with isn’t too elementary. That can be a turnoff as well.

Source: AMD Global Consumer Advisory Board, www.amd.com

Tags: Buzzwords, collateral, jargon, language, marketing collateral, study