People communicate in different ways. They hear different things and they see different things. How they hear and see things are shaped by their own past personal experiences.
For example, if you tell a group of people you are very frustrated, their idea of how frustrated you are depends on their own perception and experience of their frustration level. So when you communicate with your clients, try to use as many concrete words as possible – use what some therapists called “wheelbarrow words”.
These are words that can be put in a wheelbarrow. If you tell your clients you have 22 bricks, they have a much better idea of what you are talking about. They can see those bricks in a wheelbarrow. In other words, try to be as specific as you can when you speak to your customers or clients.
For example: As a construction company, instead of saying you are “uniquely qualified” to serve your client’s needs, tell them you have 3 bulldozers, two cranes and five forklift trucks. All of these can be put in a wheelbarrow. If you are an architect, tell your potential clients you designed that tall building downtown at the corner of First Avenue and Pine Street. Don’t tell them you are “the best” architect in town.
You get the idea.
