The words you use affect how people see your firm. Today, let’s talk about the words many firm owners use and suggest better ones for a more positive impression.
Listen below.
0:43 The way you speak affects who joins, stays, and the clients you attract to your team.
1:02 I avoid using the terms “employee” or “staff” because they can have a negative connotation and suggest a subservient relationship.
1:30 Instead, prefer using “team member” or “colleague” instead of “employee” or “staff” as they convey a more positive connotation.
2:03 The next set of words I steer clear of using are terms like “cost” or “fee” in my communication. I picked up this habit from Ron Baker, who highlights that these words can carry negative connotations.
2:21 My go-to term is “price.” Instead of saying, “this service costs,” I prefer phrases like “this service is priced at” or “the price of this service is.”
3:21 Given that my target market is accounting firms, I find that they relate more easily to the term “client” rather than “customer.” Therefore, we use client” in our marketing efforts.
3:57 As a leader, your role is to guide both your team and clients. The interesting thing is, that the words you choose have a powerful impact – they can influence how people act and think without them even realizing it.
