"That Ring of Fat" and the Direct Approach
I signed up for a Webinar the other day. It promised to teach me how to make the most of social media, which my clients are eager to find out about. They believe (quite logically) it could be a new way to promote word-of-mouth about their practices.
When I went to access this Webinar, however, I found out I was going to learn to "amplify value propositions" among a group of "stakeholders." This would take up a lot less "human capital" than one might imagine, because I'd be "leveraging" a "suite of tools" in a "platform" whose power I could only have dreamt of in days of yore. Gave Me a Headache
After an hour of this Webinar, I had a headache. The leader couldn't finish a sentence without throwing in some business school jargon.
The biggest question on my mind at the end wasn't "How can I use this great new knowledge to help my clients?," it was "Why can't this guy speak plain English?" "What's he trying to hide?" "Is he trying to intimidate me?"
Avoidance
To relax, I began watching a TV pundit I usually like. But he started in right away with the favorite new word in pundit-land: narrative. He used "narrative" when he meant theory or opinion. ("This idea that tax cuts help the economy by stimulating business, does that narrative make sense to you?")
My headache got worse.
I started shouting at the TV: "That's not a narrative! That's a theory. An opinion!" (A wrong opinion in my opinion, but that's just my opinion.)
A narrative is different! A narrative's a story!
"A priest, a rabbi and an imam walk into a bar. The priest says to the rabbi...." Like that.
Jargon Hurts the Brain
Why does jargon get under my skin? Why does it annoy other people, too?
Because jargon forces people to translate phrases and words into the plain English they're comfortable with. It takes constant effort, and after awhile they resent it. They get tired.
You Want to Give Pleasure, Not Pain
This is the exact the opposite of the effect you want to have on your e-newsletter readers.
Your purpose with e-newsletters – besides getting all of your patients to come in right away for repeat procedures – is to remind patients of how much they like you. And how much they trust you.
And how comfortable they are with you because you're such a reliable source of up-to-date information about cosmetic medicine.
To do this, you have to give them a pleasurable, easy-to-understand read.
Medical Jargon Irritates Readers
Your Achilles heel on the jargon front would be medical jargon.
- Your first thought would be to say "modality" where a civilian would say "method." STOP.
You don't have to prove you went to medical school. Your patients know it. They wouldn't have come to you in the first place if they didn't think so.
- The phrase that comes to mind when you think about excising fat under the chin is "submental lipectomy".STOP.
Say it plainly: "We can cut that ring of fat from under  your chin, the one that shows up in family photos. It's hereditary and you don't need it." Now your patients remember why they love you so much!
"You can do that?" they ask with relief. "You mean that's not part of the 'last 10 pounds' I torment myself with? It's not my fault?"
"When can I book surgery?"
Plain English Works Better
Your expertise lies in how you can help, not the big words you use to explain it. Let go of jargon and start bringing in more business.
Yours in continued prosperity,
Joyce Sunila
President
Practice Helpers
By the way, feel free to share this article with your family and friends.
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