Remember back in high school when one of your friends got a new car and just kept going on and on and on about how cool it was, talking about things like the engine and torque? Using language you probably had no idea what he was even talking about?
Did you ever just finally turn to your buddy and say, “I don’t even know the language you are speaking?!”
That’s digital today, and if you’re in digital, you need to be self aware of your audience. Yes it’s cool. Yes it’s exciting to have a platform where tracking results is often superior to saying “Let’s run some TV and see if sales increase!” That said, many people from brand CMOs to company principals are still learning some of the nuances and if you aren’t careful, you can lose them at “hello.”
Here are 3 pieces of sage advice if your job is to pitch or present digital offerings:
- Know your audience – there’s no shame is asking the question up front, “How would you rate your knowledge of digital media (or whatever digital service it is you are offering) on a scale of 1-5?” Most people will give you a pretty honest answer and that opens a door to gauge how in-depth you should go.
- Leave out the acronyms – nothing the digital industry loves more than a few great acronyms… DSPs, DMPs, CPMs, XYZs (ok I made this last one up, but that’s my point). If it’s a data management platform, call it that.
- Leave them wanting more – An overview of no more than 20-30 minutes is probably just enough time to start the understanding and education process without going so long that their eyes glaze over. In fact, more often than not, you’ll leave them asking more.
Advice I’ve often had to re-remind myself! Happy Hunting
