Mommy Talk for the Entrepreneur (Part 2)

Catch up with part 1

Kids, clients, and customers all have a language of their own; As a mother running a business, I know this all too well. When my little one says “da-cheee” I know he wants cheese.

But it’s not enough just to give him the cheese and continue on our happy way. I repeat “da-cheee” in his way. I look him in the eyes. And I say “CHEESE” (the correct way). Then I give him what he wants.

It takes but five seconds, and I’ve taught him something. But furthermore, he knows that I understand him.

You'll want to take great care in knowing where to draw the line when it comes to communicating with your clients.

You want to speak like them so that they know that you understand their business. You'll want to use industry language (from their industry).

But, the idea is not usually to become best friends with these guys, The intention is to complete a task successfully, make some money and move on.

So you'll need to transition into detailing what it is you can do for them; after all you've obviously got a service that they are lacking. And you'll want to use your industry lingo at a minimum. They need you, but probably don't understand everything about what you do (or they may be doing it themselves).

Introducing new clients to new concepts and terms can be enlightening for them. Doing it correctly can really help you seal a deal. But... Bombarding clients with your own business language can make them feel inferior and uncomfortable. Explain to them what you will do using simple slow talk. But verify your qualifications with examples.

Portfolio examples or passed client experiences can make them feel comfortable in choosing to work with you.

When I'm lucky enough to have the time, I like to show clients physical examples of what I am working on for them. Pictures, slides, e-mail attachments, they like to see something that's personalized.

A client once told me that I was overwhelming him with ideas and that he needed a bit of a break in order to sort of digest everything we talked about. After ending our phone conversation I realized how right he was.

Our ideas and methods are clear to us — of course!! But give your client (and your kids, if you have them) time to absorb your suggestions.

Remember how simple life seemed when you were five? Try to look at your business from that view, you may some room for improvement.

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