Workplace Multiplier by Tola Akinsulire

April 24, 2025

Welcome to the Workplace Multiplier newsletter. Published Monday to Friday, equipping you to achieve your professional goals faster and without burnout or overwhelm by leveraging The Triple Win Method.

Speak their language, win their approval

Howdy ,

Yesterday, we explored the importance of saying what your audience needs to hear. Today, we're focusing on the second building block of powerful communication:

Say it in language they're comfortable with.

Imagine you have to work with a cross-functional project where you are bridging technical and marketing teams.

When talking to engineers, if you go deep into market analytics and consumer behaviour theories. Expect their eyes to glaze over.

And with the marketing team, if you explain the technical architecture in excruciating detail. You can be sure they will soon be checking their phones.

Same information. Wrong languages.

Language Isn't Just Words

When I say "speak their language," I'm not just talking about jargon (though that matters). I'm talking about:

1.  Frame of reference - What metaphors and examples will resonate with them?

2.  Value system - What outcomes do they prioritise? (Efficiency? Innovation? Risk reduction? Growth?)

3.  Thinking style - Do they prefer data-first approaches or big-picture concepts?

I once heard the story of a brilliant financial analyst who failed to get his proposal approved because he presented his cost-saving initiative to the executive team using detailed spreadsheet analyses.

The same proposal was approved a month later when he reframed it as a strategic competitive advantage that would position the company as an industry leader.

Same content. Different language.

Before your next important conversation:

1.  Identify your audience's professional "native tongue" (what terms do they use daily?)

2.  Determine their primary values (what metrics do they track obsessively?)

3.  Adapt your message to reflect these priorities.

There is a bit more to say about language. Frame of reference is very important - it’s how you contextualize what you want to say in the language of your audience.

Let me explain further.

Once upon a time, I was assigned a task by my boss. The only problem is - I didn’t think I was the one who should do it.

The company had appointed a consultant to run a business line. They were earning fees for that task. They were appointed because of their skill and experience. It was therefore a surprise to me when I was told to evaluate the business line to see how we could improve revenue. That is the consultant’s job.

I decided to have a meeting with my boss to discuss this. But I was going to frame the conversation in the language of my boss.

I was not part of the appointment of the consultant. So, I started the conversation with my boss with, “I want to understand the scope of the consultant’s terms of reference so we can see if we are getting as much value as we should be getting from the consultant.”

As you can imagine, the conversation went well and we did come to an agreement that the consultant needed to do more to drive revenue for the business line.

All because I made the conversation in the language of my boss.

Your Challenge Today:

In your next conversation today, consciously adapt your language to match your audience's professional vocabulary and values. Pay attention to how this affects their engagement.

Hint: If they start leaning forward and asking questions, you're speaking their language.

Fellow Workplace Multiplier,

Keep winning at work and in life.

Tola Akinsulire

Your Strategic Workplace Mentor

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