The Curse of Knowledge
The curse of knowledge is something we suffer from in the mobility and real estate industry. The curse of knowledge is a cognitive bias that occurs when an individual, communicating with other individuals, unknowingly assumes that the others have the background to understand. This bias is also called by some authors the curse of expertise, as per the Wikipedia definition.
Our industry speaks in acronyms and anagrams and uses words that any outsider would be confused by. But the bigger issue is that we suffer from it within our own industry. Real estate providers have terms that are unfamiliar to relocation management companies and household goods movers use phases that no one understands. The internal details of a corporate benefits program are a mystery to many.
Once we learn something, it is very hard to imagine what it was like before we knew it. For example, we can’t remember what it was like to not be able to read. When we look at the words now, they automatically form in our brain. That’s another reason teachers are so amazing. They have the ability to put aside their bias to teach subjects that are second nature to them. The challenge with the way we communicate in our industry is that we make a lot of assumptions based on our own understanding of something. So when we communicate across business lines, sometimes we assume the other parties know the history, background or reason of why we do and say things the way we do. I’m not suggesting we dumb down for everyone, but unless we have walked in those shoes, we may need to stop and ask more questions or seek outside expertise from those not close to the subject. I often ask my family to read things I have written to see if it makes sense to them. A lot of times it doesn’t, because I am biased based on my experiences.
I see this quite often on real estate websites. When a relocation division puts their information on the company website, they need to determine who their audience is. Speaking to a consumer is a very different proposition from speaking to a corporate relocation professional who comes to your website. So instead of mixing messages, create separate pages so the message makes sense to the audience. Instead of naming your page ‘Relocation Services’ if you are trying to reach the public, say ‘Moving for a job? or ‘Considering a move out of the area?’. Say what they need, not what you do.
It has taken years for website designers to figure our appropriate calls to action. The early real estate websites were clunky and had a lot of information about agents and the company on the homepage. Then they finally figured out (thanks to Zillow) that the consumer doesn’t really care about all of that, they just want to look at houses. So, thankfully, the calls to action became much clearer and easier to maneuver.
So when we are communicating within our industry or even to external customers, we need to stop thinking like we always have and think about what our target audience needs or wants from us and why. Our communication needs to be from a perspective that is solely to the benefit of the reader. Stop bragging about our accomplishments or how big our company is and figure out how those accomplishments may benefit a client. Bragging about ourselves makes us feel good, but how does it help anyone but us? Do you think that having my SCRP benefits the end user? I am considered a subject matter expert because of my successful years in the business and in my mind, that’s what the SCRP represents along with a dedication to my industry. But just because we hold a designation, doesn’t mean we know how to do anything but pass a test to an outsider.
What they really want to know is how my years in the industry benefits them. What problem can I solve? How can I make their company and their life better? I can save them time and money by helping them create successful programs. I will help them avoid any pitfalls by steering them away from the mistakes I already learned from in my career. I can help them make more money because I know how to price services, train staff and create the marketing around the program to get it up and running quickly so they can generate profit and revenue faster. I can help them create programs to recruit and retain agents and generate new clients because I successfully did it for years. It all goes back to ‘what’s in it for them’.
When marketing our services, we need to step outside of our own world and get input from those who benefit most from our services. It is much easier to solve a problem when the person with the problem tells us how to help them instead of the other way around.
