Geek Speak II - The Awakening
Geek-Speak or techno-babble is pervasive. It seems that we are
so impressed with our technical knowledge and expertise that we
forget our audience. As I stated in my first article "Geek-
Speak," it is important to simplify, simplify, simplify. This
applies, not only to e-mail or on-line business, but to everyday
usage as well. Recently I observed a salesman in a computer
store mesmerizing an elderly couple with his techno-babble. They
had come into the store looking for a computer for some very
basic needs. The salesman was very impressive with his
knowledge. He talked about the clock speed of the computer. He
compared the various processors and showed them the 3-D Graphics
capability of the computer. Then they were told about the
56K,V.90 modem, that they could get a DVD ROM and that, if they
wanted to, they could upgrade from 64MB of RAM to 128MB of RAM.
It was obvious that he knew the product extremely well. His
technological knowledge was encyclopaedic. Just as impressive
was his monumental lack of knowledge of the customer. He never
listened to them at all. They smiled and agreed with his
evaluation, thanked him for his time, and proceeded to look at
other products. A few minutes later the same salesman cornered
another couple and proceeded with the same techno- babble or
Geek Speak. A few minutes later this same elderly couple were
approached by another salesman who offered assistance. They
seemed reluctant to talk to him. I could only assume that they
were afraid of the same barrage of Geek -Speak that they had
been subjected to before. His first question to them had nothing
to do with the computer other than asking what they were looking
for. During the next thirty minutes he talked to them about
their interests. He discovered that they had a son in Australia
and a daughter in England, not to mention an extended family
throughout North America. They informed him that they were both
history buffs. He also found out that she enjoyed cooking. He
discovered that they would like to stay in closer touch with
their family. This was one thing that he focused on.. Not once
did he talk about DVD, RAM, ROM, clock speed, or pixels on a
screen. They had heard about e-mail but never really
investigated the possibilities. They had believed that they were
past the point of obtaining any serious knowledge of computers.
The first salesman reinforced this belief that computers were
too complicated. This is not to suggest that elderly people
cannot become computer literate, but the approach of the first
salesman convinced them that it was beyond them. Once the second
salesman discovered something of their needs, he began talking
about the simplicity of e-mail and how they could stay in touch
fairly easily. He talked about doing searches through the
Internet on their favourite history topics, and the various
cooking news groups that could be accessed online. He carefully
told them about accessing information online without using
technical jargon and how they could actually send and receive
pictures. The possibility of receiving pictures of their
grand-children intrigued them. They really liked the idea that,
even though they may not be able to get to Australia, they could
receive regular pictures of their grand-children growing up.
When he talked about the capability of the computer, he used
language that they understood. They received the same
information as they did from the first salesman, but in a
language that was not peppered with impressive Geek-Speak. He
sold them on ideas that were interested in. By the time he
finished, they had bought over three thousand dollars worth of
computer equipment. He did not sell them the computer and
peripherals- they were ready to but- but they just wanted to
understand what they were buying. This kind of simplification of
the techno-babble or Geek-Speak that I discussed in my first
article can affect sales, not only in a store situation, but
also online. There will always be a necessity to use Geek-Speak
but it is essential to know your audience. More sales are lost
because someone, in a misguided attempt to impress their
audience, confuses that same audience with a barrage of
technical jargon or Geek-Speak. One must judge the audience
carefully and the first step is to listen to the questions that
are being asked. Better still, ask questions that will elicit a
response that will result in gaining some information about the
prospective purchaser. It is easy to sell someone a product that
they are impressed with but that they don't need. The most
successful sales people however, are those who sell someone a
product they need. The result is repeat sales because the
customer knows that their needs will be met and they won't be
loaded up with peripherals that become dust collectors.