The finance insider trap

Imagine walking into a room where everyone speaks fluent finance.

They nod knowingly at “VIX movements”, joke about “carry trades” and debate acronyms like they’re friends.

Oh, such fun!

And you… market software. Or cybersecurity. Or anything else that isn’t yield curves and risk frameworks.

You know that your product can help them.

But the moment you speak, something shifts.

Their eyes glaze over. They go quiet. And then worst of all… they ask you to “send something over” and disappear into the abyss.

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Marketing to people in finance and ensuring they’ll listen, especially when you’re not one of them, is tough.

Not because you’re less smart.

But because, sadly, perception often matters more than credentials.

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People in finance are taught to be sceptical

It’s a learned behaviour.

Their job is to question numbers, spot weaknesses and avoid risk. So when they meet someone who doesn’t speak their language, their default isn’t curiosity.

It’s caution.

This is less about elitism and more about signal detection.

You’ve got to remember that they’ve likely been burned in the past by slick vendors who didn’t understand their world. So, now they automatically look for signs that you’re legit.

• They listen for language that matches their own mental models.
• They notice what you choose to explain, as well as what you already know.
• They care about accuracy, clarity and proof.

Which means that even a single misplaced metaphor or overly simplified stat can damage trust. It’s not because you’re wrong, but because it feels like you haven’t done your homework.

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The perception test

Here’s a psychological trick to understand this mindset:

When a message comes from an ‘ingroup member’, it gets a pass.

When it comes from an ‘outgroup’, it gets scrutiny.

It’s called ingroup bias and it shows up everywhere.

In finance, the ingroup includes people who’ve worked in banks, funds, financial consultancies or anyone who speaks the language of risk and reward fluently.

So, if you’re not part of that group, your message has to work harder. It needs to be technically competent, emotionally intelligent and strategically on-point.

That means:

• Don’t overexplain simple concepts.
• Don’t under-explain the parts that are complex.
• And don’t “talk down” to the audience.

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So, how can you do this?

Don’t worry. You don’t need a CFA.

You just need to do your research and earn their attention.

Here are a few things that work:

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1. Use proxies

If you’ve not worked in finance, quote someone who has. Let your testimonials, case studies or even client insights do the heavy lifting.

2. Get the tone right

A calm, analytical, minimal style often resonates better than big bold claims. You don’t need to sound like a bank, but you do need to be accurate.

3. Signal that you’ve done your homework

Reference trends that they care about. Whether that’s a shift from active to passive, ESG rules, fintech trends, embedded finance…. don’t necessarily name drop, just anchor your relevance.

4. Ask questions

The fastest way to gain credibility is to ask questions only someone who gets their world would ask. So, instead of sounding like a pitch, you’re behaving more like a peer.

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It’s not about being one of them

It’s about showing you understand them.

When you do this well, something funny happens.

The suspicious look fades. They open up. They talk. They trust.

And… they start to listen to what you’ve got to say.

Because, you earned it.

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Speak soon

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