Search Marketing Communications

Over the last several days, I have encountered several examples of corporate speak – language used by a service provider that in my opinion was different from the language their customers would have used had the customers been given the opportunity.

I checked into a hotel in Kansas City two nights ago and after checking in called the front desk to inquire about getting a larger room.

The front desk then told me if I wanted a larger room that I would have to pay an “upsell charge” of $50.00.

What?

I want to buy more of your products – ABC Hotel chain – but first I must buy a $50 “upsell charge” to get the larger room?

What corporate marketer instituted this particular customer service strategy and term across their hotel properties world wide?

What made them think the term uspell could be used to induce their captive audience to buy into their “uspelling” process?

Salesmanship in general raises prospects defenses – telling them your a selling let alone upselling them – only raises their defenses more so – and causes prospects to reject offers.

I didn’t buy the larger room because the ABC Hotel chain and I didn’t speak the same language – or share one  (Lingua Franca).

Are you speaking your language or are you speaking your customers language?

What is your market’s Lingua Franca?

Tags: Corporate Speak, Customer Speak, Lingua Franca, Upsell

This entry was posted on August 11, 2009 at 9:52 pm and is filed under Corporate Speak, Customer Speak, Upsell. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.