Plain language is the small business owner’s best friend

Or why you should keep the tech-talk for the techies

A client recently told me that I was great because I ‘eat jargon for breakfast.’

Now, that’s funny because it’s true.

I use as little jargon as possible so that my clients understand me.

But it’s something that technical people or those who are in really complex industries don’t understand.

• Perhaps they feel they don’t want to ‘dumb down’ what they say to people.
• Or they’re worried that others in their industry will see them as ‘unprofessional’.

But I’m not about banning tech talk completelty. Jargon can be okay if you’re, say, a surgeon talking to another doctor about a client’s conditition. Because you both understand the same technical and medical terms, there’s no confusion and it may actually be more efficient to talk using specific technical terms.

On the other hand, if you’re a patient and your specialist tells you that you have artherosclerosis, which is a form of artereosclerosis, you’re bound to shake your head and wonder what they’re talking about.

Top advice for technical specialists

My top advice for technical specialists is to keep the tech talk for other techies! When you’re talking to ordinary, everyday people, your customers, or even those who are in business but are outside of your industry, you can’t assume that they understand:

• all the technical terms you use
• what the technical situation you’re describing means for them
• what they should do about it.

You may even need a diagram or some other visual tool to help them understand what you’re talking about.

How to limit jargon

One thing I often suggest to clients when they find it hard to drop the technical talk is to think about explaining the topic to a beloved elderly uncle at a family gathering.

Uncle Vito will listen to you for a few seconds because they want to understand what you’re talking about.

But the moment they get bored or feel you’re not explaining things properly, they’ll tune out and ask your annoying younger cousin what they’re doing…and spend the rest of the gathering watching funny You Tube videos about cats driving cars…or whatever your annoying younger cousin is into.

Key Takeaways

• Keep tech talk to an absolute minimum.
• Explain any unusual terms the first time you use them.
• Think about explaining your subject to someone smart, but impatient.
• Use images or videos to help explain complex ideas.
• Always ask your listener if they have any questions.