Writing for non-techies can be a challenge, especially when selling a very technical product. Learn the nuts and bolts of getting your point across to even the least technical prospects.

1. By Valarie Swanson
President, VSS Marketing Management
Keep Tech Talk Down and Improve Your Marketing Response
Are you a techie? Is your When reading the brochure, assurance in the finished
target buyer a techie, too? this reader is looking for product.
Probably not, and in order to technical knowledge, key Second, use lists and tables
reach your target buyer, terms and buzz words. to visually separate highly
you’d better be speaking their Although, this reader technical information from the
language and not just your understands the technical rest of the brochure copy.
own. jargon, very little is needed to This allows the reader to
sell this influencer – either quickly scan what they do
You may sell a complex, you have what they need or and don’t want to read. This
highly technical product or you don’t. is where you can talk to the
service, but as it turns out, technical reader, but the
using fancy, technical jargon On the other hand, the executive reader can see
doesn’t impress anybody and executive or decision maker quickly if it pertains to their
can actually turn potential will also read the prototype decision and move on if it
buyers away. developer’s collateral. doesn’t.
However, this reader is less
Using technical jargon is interested in the machinery Use Jargon Sparingly
widely accepted in the high- (i.e. details) and may not Jargon can be dangerous
tech business world when even understand the when left in the wrong hands.
talking amongst peers, but technical jargon. Using too Too much and you loose the
when used in marketing much jargon and listing too reader, too little and you don’t
materials and sales many features without their appear competent. So how
correspondence it becomes benefits, will only turn this much is the right amount?
confusing and is usually lost buyer away.
on the decision maker. If you can’t get through two
Divide and Conquer sentences without an
Who Is Your Audience There is a happy middle- acronym, techie-term, or
Determining who reads your road. You can successfully words that include capital
marketing materials is the speak to both technical letters in the middle, then you
first, vital step to developing influencers and decision probably have too much
relevant marketing and makers in one marketing jargon clogging up your
advertising messages. piece, if it is crafted well. marketing piece.
However, oftentimes a
marketing piece will be read First, most of the marketing Copy should flow easily and
by different groups of piece should be devoted to be readable by an intelligent
prospects and the message the benefits that your service person. After reading your
must somehow relate to each or product offers to the marketing piece, they should
of them. decision maker. They, after be able to tell what you are
all, are the ones with the final offering.
For example, a high-tech power to buy your product or
product prototype developer service, or not. If they can’t, then revisit your
would have two target marketing piece and rework
readers of a corporate When you mention an the placement and amount of
brochure: the engineer important piece of machinery, jargon that you use and
(influencer) and the executive tell why it’s important to include more benefit
(decision maker). delivering your service, or statements.
how it adds value to the
First, the engineer would buyer. For instance, you may Remember: Benefits sell
read the company’s use a high speed machine features, but features don’t
marketing material to decide that is faster and more sell benefits. Don’t confuse
if the prototype developer has accurate than doing a and enrage your decision
the appropriate machinery particular task by hand. This making reader. Rather,
and technical knowledge in machine allows your educate and enlighten them
place to build the prototype. company to offer faster to get the best response from
delivery and higher quality all of your marketing pieces.
© Copyright 2003, VSS Marketing Management. VSS Marketing Management, P.O. Box 17626,
San Diego, CA 92177, Phone (858) 531-7929, E-mail valarieswanson@yahoo.com