Kalia and I are loving our time in Bangkok. It’s been amazing—great food, incredible sights, and enough English-speaking locals to make communication a breeze.

But soon, we’re heading to a remote part of Northern Thailand, and let me tell you, it’s going to be a whole different ballgame. We don’t speak Thai, and I’ve learned just enough to order food and say “hello.” (Though I’m sure my pronunciation is making people laugh behind my back.)

Here’s the thing: when you can’t speak the language, even the simplest tasks—like asking for directions or buying something—become frustrating, awkward, and downright exhausting.

And that brings me to a mistake I see professionals make all the time when meeting with prospects: they speak in industry jargon.

You know what I’m talking about.

They toss around acronyms, technical terms, or insider language that leaves the prospect nodding politely while thinking, What the heck are they even saying?

When this happens, you’ve lost them. Confused people don’t buy.

Your prospects don’t live in your world. They’re not insiders who understand the technical brilliance of your service or why your industry-specific process is superior. They’re real people who want solutions to their problems, explained in simple, clear terms they can understand.

If you want to close more deals, here’s what to do:

• Use plain, conversational language.
• Focus on the outcomes and benefits your prospects care about, not the details of how you get there.
• Drop the jargon. Unless they specifically ask for it, keep the technical details to yourself.

The key is to meet them where they are—just like we’ll need to do in Northern Thailand. Maybe I can’t explain the intricate process of how I want my food cooked in Thai, but if I can gesture and say “spicy,” that’s good enough to get the result I want.

Remember: your prospects don’t care how smart you are—they care about how you can help them.

Kick butt, make mucho DEEnero!

Dave “Confused Minds Don’t Buy” Dee