This one is a heartfelt PLEASE DON’T from me.
An acronym is simply defined as a word formed from the initial letters of a name or phrase. An example would include using the acronym “CRM” for a “Customer Relationship Management” tool, (usually used to manage customer interactions).
Here’s what I hear when in a business setting while listening to a speaker using acronyms ad nauseam: “I’m the best expert in my field, trust me“! Here’s what I’m thinking: “You just totally lost me“.
Have you ever been in a technology store looking for a gadget, a young “techie” sales guy taps you on the shoulder and asks what you’re looking to buy, you say something like “a flat screen Television”, they take you to them and point to one, saying something like “this one here is the 690 series, 4K, ultra HD, HDR, LED, UHD, in 2160P,… you get the picture.
What do you think your prospect or client does when he/she hears one or more particular acronym that they’ve never heard before, or aren’t privy to it’s meaning? They make believe they understand. That’s where the conversation goes down hill and you lose the ability to state your case. Because now, you’ve lost them. They’re looking at you, listening to you, but they don’t hear you.
In the case of the television sales guy, if I were that perspective buyer, he’d have lost me right there.
I’ve always wondered why some executives use acronyms as often as they do. If they think it makes them look more educated and in the know, they’re mistaken. People don’t like to talk to an expert who seems to shoot out information to you via industry acronyms that sounds like they love to hear themselves talk. They want ANSWERS to the things that are important to them, specifically in a straightforward and understandable manner.
Give it to me straight. Explain it to me in terms I can easily understand. Don’t assume the person you’re talking to knows the meaning of a particular acronym.
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