AFAIK Jargon is PDQ becoming a problem:
The danger of excessive jargon and acronym usage
@GGDacc
Katherine Louw, lead Xero Accountant, GGD Accounting and Business Solutions She prides herself on being the kind of quirky person who can discuss anything with anybody – after she’s had her coffee and fed the cats.
Does your use of jargon impress or depress your clients? With the rate at which technology is changing, especially the advent of Twitter and “SMS speak” the use of jargon is becoming de rigeur in client meetings and communications. But how much of this is playing “Buzzword Bingo” and how much value are we giving our clients?
X
ero’s tagline is “Beautiful Accounting Software” and it is clear both from their online presence and their live presentations at XeroCon and Xero Roadshows that their focus is on making accounting as easy to understand as possible for the end user – your client.
like to put themselves on the spot by asking questions – resulting in a depressed client who feels like they do not, and maybe cannot, understand what is happening within their financials.
Unfortunately, the accounting and finance industry is full of acronyms, many of which are not unique. For instance, ISA could stand for However, as accountants in Instalment Sales practice, we run the risk Agreement, or of undermining this International clarity through the “Why are Standard of excessive use of accountants Auditing. How jargon. You may writing Fanfic at confused will your be impressed client be receiving with your clients work?” an email requesting improved KPIs, G Marais, student their ISAs? especially their ROI, but if they Likewise, CFC could don’t understand the mean either Controlled terminology you are using Foreign Company or Controlled then no value is being added to Foreign Customer solely within your service offering. the tax sphere, but to a nonaccountant could also be mean Hopefully the average client Chloroflourocarbons. These are has bought into the “There’s no aside from the many acronyms and such thing as a stupid question.” abbreviations which may have a ideology and will ask you to different meaning outside of the explain the terms being used, but industry. experience shows that few people 58 / Issue 13
Earlier this year we had a student assisting us at GGD. She was extremely confused after overhearing a request for an OTP, and wanted to know why accountants were writing Fanfic at work. This was due to her frame of reference – a One Time Password or PIN was a less familiar concept than a One True Pairing. So how do we find the balance between impressing our clients with our industry knowledge, and leaving them confused and uncertain? There are a few steps to consider: First, emphasise the importance of clear, upfront communication within your firm. One easy to understand email that takes a minute longer to prepare due to typing items in full is less time consuming than multiple back and forth emails to explain terms to the client. Second, make use of the Rocket Scientist analogy – assume your client is a genius in their field, but has limited knowledge of yours. This will prevent your tone
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