For the love of clarity

Anyone remember the 1990s movie Philadelphia starring Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks? Throughout two-hour film Joe Miller, played by Washington, repeatedly asks people to “explain it to me like I’m a two-year old.” It was the character’s signature way of cutting through complexity and getting to the heart of what was really being said.

I love that approach because it’s also the heart of good communication. When we aren’t getting the results we want in our businesses, websites, or marketing efforts, our audience is often telling us the same thing: “Explain it to me more simply.”

The challenge is the more expertise we gain, the harder it can become to communicate clearly. As business owners and professionals, we develop industry knowledge, specialized language, acronyms, and shortcuts that make perfect sense to use, but it can leave our audience and customers confused.

After more than 20 years in marketing and communications, I have caught myself falling into this trap as well. Industry terms like CTA, CTR, AEO, or conversion rate roll off my tongue naturally because they’re part of my everyday vocabulary. But to someone outside of marketing, those terms may as well be a foreign language.

A lot of what I do as a strategic, professional content writer is translation. I help people take what’s in their heads and communicate it in a way that makes sense to the people they’re trying to reach because clarity is the first step in gaining trust. And trust is the first step toward inspiring action. 

The most effective communicators aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest vocabulary or the most expertise. They’re the ones who understand their field well enough to explain it simply. Or as Joe Miller might say, explain it like someone’s eight years old. 

What’s one term or phrase used in your industry that outsiders would have no idea how to define?