Are You Really Speaking Your Customers’ Language?

This is the first blog in our mini-series on language in market research, exploring how the words we choose shape the quality, clarity, and impact of market research.

I remember sitting at the back of an A-Level English Language class many years ago when the teacher was trying to explain the concept of jargon. The idea that different jobs used specialist words and phrases baffled me. How could there be words that I hadn’t yet heard? I could imagine long, complicated terms used by lawyers or doctors that the average person might not come across – but I wasn’t planning to become a doctor or a lawyer, so it didn’t feel particularly relevant.

Fast forward a couple of years to my first week in a research agency, and I couldn’t believe it. Everyone kept talking about “the deck,” and it wasn’t a pack of cards but a PowerPoint presentation. People kept mentioning “DP,” and it took me about a week to work up the courage to ask, “What is DP?” It turned out to be the data processing team sitting across the table from me.

One of the first clients I worked with had so many acronyms that I had to create a glossary just to understand what my manager meant when he asked for “the North IOP NPS results for the RDs.” So it turns out jargon is a thing after all.

A few more years passed, and I found myself spending evenings behind the mirror in focus group venues, furiously typing notes and listening to clients react to what their customers were saying. One evening, the back room was up in arms. They couldn’t believe customers didn’t “get” the carefully worded paragraph describing a new service offering. It was unanimously declared that there was too much jargon.

So, what are the implications for researchers and marketers in all of this? Simply: don’t assume you’re speaking the same language as your customers.

1. Test your language.

Use research to test customer-facing assets such as advertising copy or descriptions of a new product or service. It’s amazing what a different perspective can reveal. Similarly, always test questionnaires and research materials to make sure the questions make sense, and keep marketing and sales jargon to a minimum. Very few people talk about “concepts” in real life.

2. Listen to customers.

Ideally, do this in real life. But if the research doesn’t lend itself to in-person focus groups, include audio clips or open-text responses to bring the findings to life. If it’s a quantitative survey, consider short VoxPops or videos to give more impact to the results. Also think about other data sources you can tap into – for example, contact forms or customer service requests.

3. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

If someone uses a phrase you’re not sure about, ask what it means. Also think about what you could ask to uncover the language people naturally use. For example: “If you were looking for a supplier or solution for X, what would you Google?” One of the perks of being a researcher is that there’s no such thing as a silly question!

To discuss how our tailored insights programs can help solve your specific business challenges, get in touch and one of the team will be happy to help.