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To many people these are just letters and words with little meaning. It’s easy for those of us who live and breathe the web to forget to slow down and explain what we are talking about. I often make the comparison to a farmer. I don’t have the slightest idea how to raise and bring cattle to market. It’s like an enigma to me. I enjoy and appreciate the end product but beyond a vague understanding I really don’t know how it gets done.
The same with technology. Tech newbies, and often these are people from an older generation than us techies, are easily overwhelmed by technology. Why do we expect them to get it? It’s not their business to get it, it’s our business to get it and then translate it to them. Do we think we are impressing them with all our knowledge? Chances are we are intimidating them. We need to stop, slow down and listen, ask questions, understand where they are coming from and then meet them where they are at. It isn’t condescending or patronizing to slow things down and start with the basics.
Just remember that when we get outside our comfort zone of technology and its wondrous gadgets we often need others to “dumb it down” for us. Remembering that and staying humble will go a long ways to building meaningful relationships with clients. I’m as guilty of this tech talk as much as anyone but I try to remember this whenever I see that familiar “I have no idea what you are talking about” glaze come over a client’s face. I repeat the mantra “slow down, slow down”.
To many people these are just letters and words with little meaning. It’s easy for those of us who live and breathe the web to forget to slow down and explain what we are talking about. I often make the comparison to a farmer. I don’t have the slightest idea how to raise and bring cattle to market. It’s like an enigma to me. I enjoy and appreciate the end product but beyond a vague understanding I really don’t know how it gets done.
The same with technology. Tech newbies, and often these are people from an older generation than us techies, are easily overwhelmed by technology. Why do we expect them to get it? It’s not their business to get it, it’s our business to get it and then translate it to them. Do we think we are impressing them with all our knowledge? Chances are we are intimidating them. We need to stop, slow down and listen, ask questions, understand where they are coming from and then meet them where they are at. It isn’t condescending or patronizing to slow things down and start with the basics.
Just remember that when we get outside our comfort zone of technology and its wondrous gadgets we often need others to “dumb it down” for us. Remembering that and staying humble will go a long ways to building meaningful relationships with clients. I’m as guilty of this tech talk as much as anyone but I try to remember this whenever I see that familiar “I have no idea what you are talking about” glaze come over a client’s face. I repeat the mantra “slow down, slow down”.
