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Hi there ,

No one learns how to write messaging in school. In fact, you have to unlearn a lot of what you DID learn in school.

Many of us were taught to write papers with big words and formal sentences. I remember memorizing fancy vocabulary words that I’ve never, ever used in real life. (And I’m a writer!)

When I teach marketers to write in plain English, a few struggle. They’ve been using formal words to describe their solutions for so long, that anything else feels dumbed down.

But using plain English is smart. It’s the shortcut to clear, concise and approachable writing. 

Plain English is about using the most straightforward and simple words to convey your idea, so your messaging is accessible to all. 

You can do it by simply swapping out big words for little words in your writing. Most fancy words have a short and sweet plain English equivalent, for example:

  • Accomplish = do
  • Alternatively = or
  • Utilize = use
  • Currently = now
  • Provide = give
  • Empower = let

When you swap fancy words with the plain ones, your writing magically becomes easier to read. 

Before (fancy)
Maximize the quality of patient outcomes while simultaneously minimizing costs.

After (plain)
Improve patient outcomes and reduce cost of care.

I love how the simple word ‘and’ replaces a mouthful like ‘simultaneously.’

The more you do this technique, the more you’ll realize how unnecessary big words are.

And you might even get hooked! 😉

Cheers,
Emma

And that's not all I have for you
Keep reading for this edition's 'Hey, Emma!' (AMA) where I answer Adam's question: "Do you have any good exercises to help my team write stronger messaging?" Plus, a recent punchy post on jargon.


Thanks so much for reading (and watching) and I'll see you again in a couple of weeks 🙏

Emma
Founder,
Punchy 
(Say "hi!" on LinkedIn and Twitter!)

'Hey, Emma' #51 — My regular AMA series. Only for newsletter subscribers 🥳
Your last few 'Hey, Emma' AMAs:
AMA #50: How to you write clear and concise messaging?
AMA #49: How do you message “ease” without sounding like everyone else?

AMA #48: How do you feel about category creation?
AMA #46: How do I reconcile personas in my messaging strategy?
AMA #45: How do I get to know my customers better? 
AMA #44: How do I cut out jargon when my technical buyer uses it?

AMA #43: What are your favorite customer interview questions to ask?
AMA #42: Do you have to be a good writer to write good product messaging?

Keep your messaging inclusive
"But my audience is super technical – they understand jargon. Can't I use it?"

This resistance is common when I teach product marketers to eliminate jargon and vague phrases in their core messaging strategy.

Whenever I show examples of rewriting jargony phrases into plain English, someone tries to make the case to keep it.

They’re convinced a certain technical persona really needs to read that completely obscure word.

Maybe that one very specific persona cares about that word, but others might not even know what it means.

And your core messaging strategy must work for the different personas involved in the buying process, from the technical expert to the business executive.

Everyone needs to be able to understand at a high-level how your solution can help them.

Jargon is usually not inclusive.

While there are lots of reasons to dislike jargon, its exclusionary nature is what I dislike most.

It makes people who don't understand the jargon feel like they're not in the club.

Even now, after so many years as a B2B messaging specialist, I still get stumped by jargon.

When I come across some unfamiliar acronym or phrase I have to Google, my first instinct is to feel a little dumb because I don’t know what it means.

And that's another reason to resist the urge to use jargon in your high-level messaging. 

You never, ever want to make your reader feel dumb 👊

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