Cut the Jargon
Practical ways to cut jargon, so customers understand you at once and trust you more.
Plain words show confidence. Jargon hides meaning.
10 tips that really help
These ideas come from Building a StoryBrand (Donald Miller), Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff), Made to Stick (Chip Heath and Dan Heath), and everyday practice. The first six help the most. Pick one and try it today.
Jargon hides your meaning
Insider words make customers feel confused or excluded, and confused people rarely buy.
List the jargon you use most.
Replace technical words with everyday ones
Choose the word you would use when explaining the idea to a family member.
Swap three terms today.
Explain acronyms the first time
Spell out each abbreviation once so nobody has to pretend they understand it.
Add the full term in brackets.
Test your message on a beginner
Someone outside your industry will quickly show you which words need to change.
Ask a friend to read it aloud.
Use examples to make ideas clear
A short real-life example explains a concept faster than a definition.
Add one example to your pitch.
Prefer short words
Words like use, help and buy are easier to understand than utilise, facilitate and purchase.
Edit your last email.
Avoid fashionable buzzwords
Terms like synergy and innovative disruption lose meaning quickly and make you sound vague.
Cut three from your website.
Read your writing aloud
Hearing the sentences shows where you stumble or sound stiff and unnatural.
Read your pitch out loud.
Keep a plain-language word list
Recording good replacements helps you stay consistent across emails, calls and proposals.
Start a list now.
Use technical terms only with experts
When speaking to specialists, precise terms are welcome, so read your audience carefully.
Adapt for each listener.
Easy things to say
When you are stuck, pick one of these. They work in many sales conversations.
“In simple terms, it means this.”
“For example, imagine a shop with ten staff.”
“Does that make sense?”
“By that I mean…”
“Thanks for asking.”
“Let me say that more simply.”
Your first week
One small action a day. Each day is only a little bigger than the last.
List your jargon words
Write a plain version of each
Replace jargon in your pitch
Ask a friend to read it
Mark unclear words
Create a plain glossary
Review your emails
Further reading
- Building a StoryBrand (Donald Miller)
- Pitch Anything (Oren Klaff)
- Made to Stick (Chip Heath and Dan Heath)
The tips above are written in our own words and are general guidance. The books are suggestions for further reading.
More lessons in “Tell Stories That Sell”
Keep going. Small steps every day make a big change.
← Previous: The One-Sentence PitchNext: Lead With the Problem You Solve →
- Why Stories Beat Statistics
- The Simple Story Shape: Problem, Struggle, Win
- Make the Customer the Hero
- Find Stories in Your Everyday Work
- Keep It Short, Keep It Real
- Add One Vivid Detail
- End Every Story With a Point
- Collect Stories While They Are Fresh
- The Before, During and After Story
- Use Real Numbers Honestly
- Tell a Story Like Your Customer Would
- Match the Story to the Buyer
- Case Studies People Actually Read
- Ask for Testimonials Without Awkwardness
- Your Ten-Second Introduction
- The One-Sentence Pitch
- Cut the Jargon
- Lead With the Problem You Solve
- Make the Benefit Obvious
- Use Simple Words and Short Sentences
- The Message Test: Can They Repeat It?
- Open With a Hook
- The Three-Point Presentation
- Slides That Support, Not Distract
- Demo the Result, Not the Features
- Use Pauses Like a Pro
- Handle Questions Mid-Presentation
- Close Your Presentation Strongly
- Hold the Room Without Shouting
- Use Your Hands and Eyes
- Control Your Pace Under Pressure
- Recover From a Slip
- Pitch to One Person or Twenty
- Pitch Over Video With Energy
- A One-Page Proposal That Wins
- Open With Their Problem, Not Your Company
- Show Options: Good, Better, Best
- Make Pricing Easy to Understand
- Add a Clear Next Step
- Proofread Like a Professional
