Let’s talk plainly.

If you use big, complex, specialist words, the only people you will engage with are the people who understand those words.

Jargon – technical or specialist words, terms, or phrases - isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If you want to communicate with a specialist group, speaking their language – using their jargon – can help you get your message across efficiently. In fact, in some circumstances avoiding jargon can create a disconnect between you and the group.

The problem is the number of people who understand those words may be much smaller than you think.

You may think that a group of people understand what you are saying.

You may think that a word or phrase is widely known.

You may think that the technical term you’ve used means only one thing, when in fact your audience have interpreted it in a completely different way.

You may think you are informing your audience, but you’re losing them.

You may think you are engaging, but you’re creating a disconnect.

So what do you do if you want to communicate with a group of specialists and a group of people who are?

You create a different communication for each group, taking into account their background, their knowledge, and their needs.

Creating multiple communications is more work, but you are more likely to pique their interest, hold their attention, and create some active engagement.

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