Words And Language Matter

Every week, I’m speaking with clients and colleagues around the world. Clients in Europe, the Nordics, Franc, Germany, Spain, Italy, the UK. Clients in India, China, Japan, Korea and other countries. Clients in Brazil, Chile, Argentina, and Mexico. Clients in Australia and New Zealand. And clients across North America.

Fortunately, those conversations are usually conducted in English or a language I have at least passing fluency. Though I admit, my Australian colleagues keep throwing “Strine” at me—and I’m still trying to translate it into English. (I know my “Strine” friends will struggle with this post. There’s a “Strine” version at the bottom 😉

But the fact that we are able to bridge these language gaps, we can have deep conversations and are able to connect in impactful ways.

We have the same problem with our frameworks, models, processes, and even in presenting our solutions. We use words, terms, and ways of thinking that don’t always connect with the people we’re talking to. These are second nature to us—we understand them, we navigate by them, we talk in shorthand. But others don’t.. They become so natural to us, it’s almost unconscious–yet we aren’t connecting.

Or think about how we present our solutions to their problems. We talk about their problems in the context of our solution–but until they are very late in their buying cycle, the way they think about and talk about their problems is very different. It isn’t until they have started learning about solutions that they begin to learn “our language.” And we force them to talk about these in the “language” we use, rather than the way they look at things.

And if we try to engage them earlier in their buying process, we are still focused on our solutions, and those are meaningless to them and where they are in their buying process.

Stated differently, we expect our customers to come to our model, our way of looking at their problems and challenges, our way of addressing them.

But here’s the harsh reality: Why Should They?

Why should they meet us where we are at? Why should they focus on talking about what we want to talk about, the way we want to talk to them? How are we being helpful to our customers when we expect them to meet us where we are at, speaking our language?

Our customers already have a full-time job—maybe two. Now we expect them to learn a new language just to talk with us. So why should they even be interested in “learning a new language?”

Yet, our jobs are to talk to and engage our customers. Our jobs are to understand them, their businesses, their problems, their models, their “language.” If we are to engage them where they are at and in ways that enable us to create value with them, then we have to start talking their “language.”

I just checked Duolingo. I looked for a course, “Speaking our customers’ language, meeting them where they are at.” I couldn’t find a course. I know IOS 26 is supposed to have real time language translation. But when I looked at the list of supported dialects, I didn’t see, “Reduce time/risk to market, Profitable scaling and growth, improving performance and productivity.” So what do we do?

This is really not a discussion about language, it’s a discussion about Business Acumen, Customer Acumen, Problem Acumen. It’s about deeply understanding our customers, how they work, what they care about, what they want to achieve-both organizationally and individually. It’s about connecting with them beyond the words and phrases, but connecting at a human level with deep meaning.

If we want to help people solve problems, to grow/improve, to address new opportunities, we need to understand them–individually and organizationally. We have to engage them where they are at and in language that is meaningful and important to them.

Otherwise, all we are doing is pitching in a foreign language.

Afterword: Here is the AI generated discussion of this post. One of the things they do, which is very important, is look at how we extend the principles I’m writing about to other conversations–with our people, with others in our organizations, with our partners. Enjoy!

Afterword: And just for fun. I decided to put my money where my mouth is in implementing these principles myself. So with ChatGPTs help, I have created a “Strine” version of this post—just trying to connect in the language of my friends, clients, colleagues down-under (And thank you for putting up with my weird humor.)

“Words, Mates, and Why Ya Talkin’ Gibberish?”

Every bloody week, I’m chinwaggin’ with clients and workmates from all over the globe—Europe, the Nordics, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, the Poms. Folks from India, China, Japan, Korea—heaps of places. South America’s in the mix too—Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Mexico. Then there’s the Kiwis, and of course, us mob across Oz. And yeah, can’t forget the yanks and Canucks.

Luckily, most of these yarns happen in English—or some dodgy version of it I can half-understand. Though when I’m jawin’ with my Aussie mates, they keep beltin’ out Strine at full tilt, and I’m flat out figurin’ if they’re talking biz or just takin’ the piss.

Still, somehow we muddle through the lingo and manage to have a proper chat—real deep-and-meaningful stuff. Big tick for global teamwork.

But here’s the kicker—we stuff it up in a big way when it comes to all our fancy frameworks, models, buzzwords, and pitch decks. We chuck around terms and acronyms like they’re footy stats, and half the time no one else knows what the hell we’re on about. It’s all second nature to us, sure—but the other mob? Lost as a fart in a fan factory.

Take our “solutions,” for example. We rock up, keen as mustard, bang on about their problems—only through the lens of our shiny solution. But the poor buggers aren’t even thinkin’ that way yet. They’re not fluent in “Value Propanese” or “Solutionese.” They’re still tryin’ to wrap their heads around the actual drama they’ve got.

Even when we try to jump in early, we’re still rabbiting on about our stuff—which makes zero sense to where they’re at in their buying adventure. Honestly, we act like they should cross a desert just to reach our PowerPoint.

But here’s the brutal truth, mates: Why the hell should they?

Why should they bend over backwards to yak in our language? Why should they dance to our tune when they’ve got fires to put out, meetings to survive, KPIs to hit, and a boss who thinks “strategic alignment” means forwarding emails?

They’ve already got more on their plate than a Sunday barbie. And now we expect ’em to learn a whole new dialect just to figure out what we’re selling?

Nah, doesn’t fly.

Our job—our actual, grown-up, put-on-a-collar job—is to listen, to understand, and to speak in ways that make sense to them. Their business. Their problems. Their goals. Their bloody language.

And no, Duolingo’s got nothing on this. I searched for a course called “Speaking Like a Customer 101.” Zip. Nada. IOS 26 might translate Mandarin to French, but it still doesn’t speak fluent “Reduce Time to Market” or “Drive Margin While Scaling.” Go figure.

So what do we do?

This ain’t just about language—it’s about business nous. Customer smarts. Problem chops. It’s about actually givin’ a toss—about how they work, what keeps ’em up at night, and what they’re tryin’ to do in the big wide world.

If we wanna help, really help—not just flog stuff—we’ve gotta meet them on their turf. In their shed. In their words.

Otherwise?

We’re just pitchin’ in a foreign language, hoping they’ll nod politely and not boot us out the door.