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I was listening to a podcast lately which featured a young lady who escaped North Korea at the age of 12.
She explained what she knew about the word love. The only meaning she had at the time while living in North Korea about the word love was to “love the supreme leader.” Like many North Koreans, the young lady was taught this as a form of propaganda and indoctrination.
She then elaborated further on how she didn’t know the true meaning behind the word empathy. The young lady wasn’t taught the word as part of her vocabulary. It made me think, “how crazy is this?”
We only know what we know from the language we have been exposed to.
Think about this in another way
If you were speaking to another person who doesn’t understand English, you would be unable to understand what they are putting across to you. You would more than likely have to explain yourself slowly and as simply as possible.
Have you ever had someone who was trying to understand you struggle?
Sales is indeed another language to those who haven’t been exposed to or taught the vocabulary around it. For example, take a scientist. They wouldn’t know the specific linguistics around selling, prospecting, qualifying, closing, becoming a trusted advisor and what a value prostitution is.
If you were holding a conversation with them explaining what you do as a sales person, they would struggle to understand you.
One of the biggest outcomes of becoming involved in a sales improvement program is to create a common language that everyone understands and can converse in.
Once there is a common language in place, it’s easier to have conversations around expectations from your sales team.
We take for granted that people around us understand where we are coming from and what’s important to us. The other person may simply not understand what we are saying as we are speaking in another language to what they know.
Test your language out
For example, go talk to your accounts or warehouse people about sales. If they are struggling to understand you, reflect on the language you are using. Where is the disconnect? What needs to change to create an organisational understanding?
Maybe it’s time to invest in some training on creating an organisational common language. Give us a callif this strikes a cord with you and you need some assistance on building out your sales improvement program.
