Have you ever visited a business website, read a report or attended a meeting where the language was so filled with jargon and buzzwords that you left feeling more confused than informed?
You’re not alone. In the world of business, it’s all too easy to get caught up in industry-specific terminology and forget the importance of clear, concise communication.
In this blog post, we’re going to have a bit of fun and explore the importance of speaking plainly in business and offer practical examples of how to ditch the jargon and communicate effectively with your audience.
Before:
“In leveraging our synergistic corporate ecosystem, we aim to harness actionable insights to drive innovation and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Our strategic roadmap involves deploying cutting-edge solutions to streamline processes and optimise resource allocation. By embracing a holistic approach and thinking outside the box, we aspire to achieve paradigm shifts that will revolutionise our industry landscape. With a focus on scalability and disruptive technologies, we strive to pivot towards sustainable growth models and capitalise on emerging market trends.”
After:
“We believe in working together as a company to use practical information and improve how we do things. Our plan for the future is to find useful ideas and make changes step by step. We want to be open to new ways of thinking and doing business, aiming to make big impacts that benefit everyone. Instead of trying to do everything at once, we’ll focus on what’s most important and make sure we’re moving in the right direction. Our goal is to grow sustainably and stay ahead of the curve by keeping an eye on what’s happening in our industry.”
No need to dumb it down but by using language that everyone can understand, you make your message more accessible and relatable to a wider audience.
Why Plain Speak Matters:
Clear communication is the foundation of successful business interactions. Whether you’re pitching a product to a potential customer, explaining a concept to a colleague, or writing content for your website, the ability to get your message across in plain, understandable language is essential. Jargon and buzzwords only serve to alienate and confuse your audience, making it harder for them to connect with your message and understand the value you offer.
Ditching the Jargon:
So how do we cut through the clutter and speak plainly in business? It’s simple – we ditch the jargon and opt for clear, everyday language instead. Let’s take a look at some examples:
- Instead of saying “synergy,” say “working together.”
- Instead of “leverage,” say “make the most of.”
- Instead of “ideate,” say “come up with ideas.”
- Instead of “disruption,” say “innovation.”
Let’s put this into practice with some examples:
Jargon: “Our innovative, disruptive solution leverages cutting-edge technology to optimize synergies across multiple verticals.”
Plain Speak: “Our new solution uses the latest technology to improve teamwork and efficiency in different areas.”
Jargon: “We ideate creative solutions to enhance customer engagement and drive brand loyalty.”
Plain Speak: “We come up with new ideas to make customers happy and keep them coming back.”
Jargon: “Our holistic approach to problem-solving allows us to leverage synergies and drive sustainable growth.”
Plain Speak: “We solve problems in a way that helps us grow and do better.”
| Jargon | Plain Speak | In a Sentence |
| Optimise synergies | Make things work better together | “By streamlining our processes, we can make things work better together and achieve greater efficiency.” |
| Maximize ROI | Get the most out of your investment | “Investing in employee training programs can help businesses get the most out of their investment by improving productivity and morale.” |
| Leverage our core competencies | Use what we’re good at | “Instead of trying to do everything, let’s focus on using what we’re good at to gain a competitive advantage.” |
| Low-hanging fruit | Easy wins | “Let’s start by tackling the easy wins that will make a big difference quickly.” |
| Circle back | Get back to | “We’ll get back to you once we have more information on the project timeline.” |
| Synergise cross-functionally | Work together across departments | “To achieve our goals, we need to encourage teams to work together across departments.” |
| Strategic roadmap | Plan for the future | “It’s important to think ahead and plan for the future by setting goals and making decisions that will benefit us in the long run.” |
| Drill down into the details | Look closely at | “Take the time to examine the details and look closely at the factors that may impact our decision.” |
| Move the needle | Make a big impact | “By focusing our efforts we can make a big impact and achieve meaningful results.” |
| Close the loop | Complete the process | “Once we finish all the necessary steps, we can complete the process and move on to the next task.” |
| Cascade information | Share with everyone | “Don’t forget to share with everyone the important updates about our project.” |
| Run it up the flagpole | Get approval | “Make sure to get approval from management before finalising any major changes to the project.” |
| Corporate synergy | Working together as a company | “When all departments collaborate effectively, we’re working together as a company to maximise our potential and achieve success.” |
| Buy-in | Agreement or support | “We need to ensure everyone’s agreement or support before moving ahead with the new initiative.” |
| Actionable insights | Information you can use | “Our goal is to provide you with information you can use to make informed decisions and achieve tangible results.” |
| Boil the ocean | Try to do everything at once | “We shouldn’t try to do everything at once; instead, let’s prioritise our tasks and tackle them one step at a time.” |
By speaking plainly and avoiding jargon and buzzwords, you can ensure that your message resonates with your audience and gets across loud and clear. So the next time you’re tempted to throw around industry-specific terminology, take a step back and ask yourself: “Could I say this in simpler terms?” Your audience may thank you for it.
