Critical Elements of Speech

August 2008
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Posted on August 26th, 2008 by Darrin Mourer

SEs are in the “wonderful” position of having to speak to a wide variety of customer types from the server room to the board room. Whether it is fair or not, you are judged quite quickly and significantly based on your diction. I’ve had the opportunity to work with some great SEs, managers, and reps that have given me several good tips over the years to maximize my effectiveness. Most of these apply to speech in general but some are really important specifically for SEs.

1) Avoid the COWS

People dislike wishy-washy speech. While the fact is that we live in an uncertain world, SEs that can convey a greater sense of certainty and directness will fair better than their counterparts. This means that you need to avoid using uncertainty fillers such as: could, ought to, would, and should.

“This patch should fix the problem” versus “This patch will fix the problem”

I know which one I would prefer to hear from my SE. Now, will you be wrong occasionally? Of course you will. That’s ok, we all make mistakes. Here’s the secret; it doesn’t matter which phase above you use, your customer will still deem you made a mistake. You might as well have the brass to be firm in your advice.

If you absolutely need to hedge, you can always add specificity.

“This patch will fix the problem” versus “Support duplicated your issue and has released this patch which solved the problem”

The second phase simply adds a degree of precision which leaves you a credible out.

2) Strengthen your vocabulary

No matter how good your current vocabulary is you should strive to improve it. From day one entering my career I can still recall the people I have come across that really impressed me with theirs. It’s really not a significant time investment to make significant improvements and the results can be impressive.

Here are a few specific tips you can implement immediately:

Don’t ignore the unknown - When you hear someone use a word you don’t understand, jot it down and look it up the first chance you get. This is especially true for people close to you. A bonus tip: People reuse the same words frequently so chances are you will hear them use it again and next time you won’t miss a beat.
Sign up for free samples - dictionary.com as well as most similar sites will have a “word of the day” or equivalent. It’s free and always ensures you have a steady stream of new material.
Audio programs - Since most SEs do a lot of driving/flying, having a few audio programs handy with speech improvement programs can add to your education. Having it on your MP3 player while working out works too. You are exercising regularly, aren’t you?

3) Don’t shoot yourself in the foot

I’ve learned the hard way that as an SE you must master control over your speech as it pertains to conveying technical information. Using technical jargon is the surest way I know of to get executives to ignore you. Here are some of my tested techniques for avoiding problem spots.

If you are in any type of interactive environment (preso, demo, etc) speak at a higher level (i.e. less technical) than you estimate you need to. After you get going, ask a few questions that require detailed response. Based on the response you’ll verify the level of speech your customer expects.
Avoid excessive use of acronyms. I usually have a rule that any acronym I use (that wouldn’t sound foolish) I sound out at least once. I also never use my company specific acronyms even if it takes longer to communicate. Customers have enough to remember, don’t add to their problem.
Make a subtle attempt to match your customers patterns. Don’t parrot and do not make it pronounced, but staying a little closer to the cadence of your customers dialogue along with similar vocabulary will make it easier for them to accept you and your ideas. We all have a natural affinity for those similar to us.

It’s important to remember how much time we actually spend communicating during the day. Investment here will go along way toward improving your overall performance.