Does Simple Language Make Everybody Dumber?

Small business fills a role to meet people’s needs. To do that, people have to recognize how these goods and services fit into their daily lives. 

Sometimes, these offerings are way ahead of what people are aware of. And founders default to the complicated terms they’re familiar with. In my experience, most technical clients write at a collegiate level.

Which makes it the customer’s fault for not being smart enough, right?

Raising the education level is noble…

One children’s book author highlighted a study that showed the declining grade level of language use in presidential speeches over the years. He lamented the dumbing down of America. 

And the American attention span? Down to 8 seconds, as measured by how much time people spend on websites.

But is this really the case? Let’s test that idea.

Here’s what helps you sell

Take Robert Kiyosaki, for example. In his book, Rich Dad Poor Dad, he discusses the importance of selling. Successful sellers use simpler language. 

That’s different from talking down to the listener. A simple message saves the listener’s energy and makes the benefits easier to understand. 

Kiyosaki isn’t the smartest person in the world. He isn’t the cleverest writer, either.

But he has made a lot of money showing others how to achieve financial freedom. “Best-selling author,” he says, “isn’t the same as best-writing author.”

So how many intelligent business owners are banging their heads against the wall? More people need to buy into these ideas that will save the world, right?

Sophisticated language hides your message from the audience. Using it reduces what you communicate. It’s not the audience’s fault for being unlearned.

Politicians’ speeches face the same challenge. Voters, for better or worse, no longer have to own land. The obstacles of creating their own systems to build and manage wealth over a long period no longer hold them back at the ballot box.

Here’s the simple truth about simple language: it gets stuff done.

When a coworker says a vendor hasn’t delivered a part they need for a job, they tell me they don’t have the part. After that, it’s on me to call the vendor. If I don’t make that call, the job won’t get done.

Simple.

Sure, it might not be my highest priority for the day. But, over time, that promise to take care of those folks gets lost in my inaction.

What does this mean for your business?

How you talk to customers doesn’t change the need to differentiate your offer from others. Marketers from all over can make a useless product appear valuable. But what keeps yourcustomers coming back is how you deliver on that message.

If you don’t have a solid product or service to offer, worry about that first before trying to market it.

That’s also not the same as market research. It’s ok to get customer feedback on where their current providers fall short. Adjusting your offer to fill that niche gap is going to win over those customers on the fence. And make your business viable for the long run.

So take some time to simplify your message. Whether you’re selling ideas or products, you need to be able to connect to your audience at their level. 

Once they’re in your ecosystem, then you can bring up the education level for your audience. Otherwise, you may stay frustrated about your ideas never going anywhere.

Ready to transform your message so it gets across to your customers? Book a call with me today to get started!