Major Accounts: What Difference a Word Makes
Major accounts can seem like another species.
I have learned that words are neuropathways to the heart.
Let’s say you’re a service provider to the pharma/biotech industry. Would you talk about “customers” or “KOLs” (Key Opinion Leaders)?
I was having a discovery conversation on behalf of a client. The audience was the training group in a Biotech firm.
They taught me a valuable lesson. If you are not using the language of your audience, the chances of building credibility are lowered.
This is what happened: I asked about their customers. The learning leader, who had started her career as a scientist replied, “I suppose you could call them customers but they’re KOL’s.”
Immediately, I substituted “KOL” for “customer” in all my client’s materials and conversations. We continued to pursue business within the pharma/biotech industry.
Changing our language may be the reason this manufacturer has agreed to consider my client’s solution in 4 of their therapeutic groups.
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One Response to “Major Accounts: What Difference a Word Makes”
Craig Pickering
June 20th, 2009
From my perspective this reaction you received is the result of building rapport. Making the client feel comfortable is essential for rapport, and using their ‘language’ is part of this process.