Can your office jargon cause people to go into a panic? When I was a TV news reporter, you were always running against a deadline and trying to find ways to save time.
For people like Barbara Walters and programs like 60 Minutes, setting up for an interview could take an entire day. Every detail, like the light and the sound, are carefully adjusted.
For a local news crew, you have a matter of minutes to set up. Usually the photographer would ask what kind of microphone I?d like to use for the interview. In instances where we had a little more time or wanted to set up a more artisitic shot, we would use a clip on microphone.
But in some cases, we didn’t have that much time. This is when we would use the microphone that was already attached to the camera by a short cable. I?d grab the long, stick microphone and we?d be ready to start in the interview in a matter of seconds.
This microphone is known as a shotgun mic as its shape is not unlike a shotgun. Speaking in shorthand with the photographer, it was not unusual for me to respond to the question, ?What microphone do you want to use?? with the words, ?Let?s use the shotgun on him.?
At this point the interview subject would often recoil in horror. Already he or she was probably nervous but the thought of being at gunpoint made the situation worse.
This is a fun example but you shouldn’t be laughing when it comes to how jargon can affect your customers. When people don’t know what you’re saying, they get nervous. Even worse, they will tune you out.
Is it smart to make people feel like they are in a foreign country with no knowledge of the local language? Should they feel like the customer who doesn’t understand what’s wrong with his or her car, except that the repairs will cost a lot of money.
To Clear the Path of this challenge, you have to make a commitment to clear communication. Don’t flaunt your expertise so it makes the other person feel uncomfortable.
Bottom Line: You can’t establish rapport with someone if you make him or her feel stupid.
