When it Comes to Effective Sales Presentations…Speak in Lay Terms

If medical schools have not yet initiated a program on teaching doctors how to speak to patients in terms they will understand, they should certainly add such classes to the curriculum. But are we who speak as experts in our field often guilty of the same offense?

Industry-specific jargon and alphabet-soup terms seem to crop up everywhere. The risk? You lose the attention of your audience during a critical sales presentation.

Hereare three rules to follow for more effective sales presentations:

1. Scrub your presentation of any terms a lay person would not understand. This is not the time to show off your vocabulary or your knowledge of industry lingo.
2. Avoid complex sentences. Simpler explanations are easier for your audience to follow and thus more powerful. 
3. Speak as if you were talking to only one person in conversation. Your presentation will be much more fresh and impactful.  

Assuming the object of your presentation is to sell or educate, cut out the jargon and speak to your clients in lay terms.