A recent transaction has the parties confused over some of the language in the Purchase and Sale Agreement (not unusual). It reminds us that when someone doesn’t understand something the first reaction is usually, “No.”
Many years ago an attorney told me to make sure my clients always understood the language in a contract. He said that it didn’t matter that the attorneys understood it because any ambiguity will come back on the parties involved not the attorneys.
Let’s carry that wise advice to our day-to-day business and our lives in general. When there’s ambiguity or lack of understanding we are going to lean towards not doing anything. Whether it’s buying a car, some software or an appliance, if we’re not sure how it works or what the features are we won’t buy it.
In business we have to make sure that we, and our salespeople, realize that making things clear and easy to understand for our prospects and clients increases the chances of doing (more) business together. It’s when we start talking technical jargon that we confuse people and they lose interest.
“Truth isn’t always beauty but the hunger for it is.” Nadine Gordime
