It happened…again! You submit an assignment to your supervisor for approval, and then you hear the dreaded words, “This doesn’t make sense to me!” You immediately think to yourself, “I thought I explained this clearly–how could I have explained it any better?”
One of the secrets to collaborating effectively with other departments is speaking each other’s language. For example, if you’re a software developer working with a salesperson, avoid explaining concepts in “developer language.”
Terms such as API, spans and divs, JSON or DOM may cause salespeople to scratch their heads in confusion. Instead, take a step back and answer the question, “What’s the big idea here?” Think about how your concept or explanation solves a problem or how it makes life simpler. Then explain it in a way that will resonate with your audience.
Say “This design simplifies a salesperson’s pitch by eliminating clutter and focusing on revenue numbers” as opposed to “In this div, we are using our API and our generated JSON data to dynamically incorporate this simple slider.”
Understanding another department’s common language can make internal collaboration more efficient and effective. You can learn how your colleagues communicate by simply paying attention to common words and phrases they use when explaining a problem or idea.
To get you started, here’s a list of common departmental terms that you can begin to incorporate into your communications:
Sales
- Benefits
- Mobility
- Added Value
- Targeting
- More common sales terms
Finance
- Margins
- Long-Term Assets
- Venture Capitalist
- Leverage
- More common financial terms
Marketing
- Target Market
- Lead Generation
- SEO
- Mobility
- More common marketing terms
Technology/IT
- Data
- Front-end/Back-end
- Framework
- Dynamic Content
- More common tech terms
Scott Sanford recently graduated from Lake Forest College with a B.A. in Business and is a self-taught programmer. At Mediafly, his role is Marketing Technologist and developing Interactive content and custom themes.
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