Are you being transpicuous enough?

What?  Transpicuous. It means clear. Are you being transpicuous enough?

Sorry, we’re just so familiar with that word we forgot it was an obscure one. How ironic of us. This is the thing about words, if we don’t choose them carefully they can get in the way of what we’re saying. 

Especially if you’re a tech company. Because, you’re in an industry prone to loquaciousness waffle and aconynmitis. 

You might find yourself using industry jargon in your comms. You might not even realise it’s jargon. Just some well-worn terms you and others use. Nay problemo. 

Jargon is sneaky like that. Many of us are basted in it daily, forgetting we’re being cooked in a corporate oven. We need to cool off and think clearly. We need to remember that communications (except cryptic wartime codes) are meant to be understood. This is the point of words – to transmit meaning from the mind of the writer to the mind of the reader. “Telepathy” as Stephen King calls it in his memoir ‘On Writing’. 

It’s time to interrogate your comms

Do potential customers speak like this? Do they use these abbreviations? Will this make them stare into the middle distance perplexed? Or will they nod with understanding. It’s important to think about this and even ask them. Because what they understand may not be what you understand. And it’s easy to get carried away in the complexities of technical products or services – particularly as creators. It’s second nature.

You’re burying your brilliance

When you use jargon, technical language, insider terms – anything that isn’t common knowledge you’re burying what makes your product or service brilliant. You’re not telling people why what you do matters to them in simple terms. You’re not being transpicuous enough. And so they don’t care. 

While a bit of jargon is sometimes unavoidable, you must make sure your communications are accessible and stand out. Because, jargon not only obscures meaning it also makes everything boring. You don’t want your messaging to dissipate into a grey brand fog. You want it to stand out. A lighthouse beam, piercing the gloomth.  

 And it’s not just your external comms. Jargon-stuffed internal emails, presentations and workplace conversations are not ideal either. 

Here’s why.

It’s off putting

 One reason too much jargon will damage your brand, is it puts people off. Industry-specific terms can be alienating. And if people are struggling to understand your product or service, they’ll bounce…to a competitor.

Yep, excessive jargon leads to misunderstandings, misalignment, and missed opportunities.

It’s not effective

If your audience can’t grasp what you’re saying, then your communications aren’t effective. It sounds obvious, but what’s the point if what you’re putting all that time and effort into writing is unintelligible?

Ummm don’t know

 Jargon glues up decision making processes by obscuring critical information. People may make choices based on misunderstood data. In high-stakes situations, this can have heavy consequences, including financial losses and reputational damage. 

 Don’t get it, don’t care

 Much like your audience, if your employees feel alienated by jargon – they’ll switch off. If you’re a company with software developers or engineers, this disconnect can take place when teams with lots of technical knowledge speak to teams with less technical knowledge. It’s not purposeful or malicious, but it is problematic. There’s a reason this happens too. It’s called the curse of knowledge.

 A culture where different teams feel professionally and creatively siloed from one another fuels internal divisions and a lack of oomph for the company mission. Plus, it gets in the way of knowledge transfer.

 Because, when insights are trapped behind jargon, passing them between teams is difficult. This leads to knowledge loss, more training costs, and general inefficiency.

 Look, we don’t trust you

 If people don’t understand you, why should they trust you? You can’t just say ‘hey, you can trust us, honest’. Jargon can be a red flag, because it undermines the trust needed to build solid business relationships. It’s worth asking again, are you being transpicuous enough?

 If investors or employees suspect a company is hiding behind complex language, they become suspicious of double agendas. This is because we’re hard wired to equate opaque words with deceptiveness. We hate being tied up in language and feeling like we’re agreeing to things we don’t understand and possibly don’t want. Honesty and clarity are entwined. 

 Sorry, I’ve accepted another offer

If you’re all clogged up with buzzwords and dry terms, but your competitors are like an open window to a spring day, who would people rather engage with? People choose brands they feel are transparent, understandable and welcoming. Three things not associated with runaway jargon. 

 It smothers innovation

 Innovation relies on clear comms – internal and external. It’s about crystallising creative and professional thought in ways people can relate to and be inspired by. With jargon, your team’s ability to express themselves is muted. Which is why it’s important to build a culture that values precise, meaningful language – that values words.

 In the end

A bit of jargon here and there does no harm, however, lots of it acts like an undertow dragging you down into the murky deep. Your goal as a company should be to make your communications as buoyant and accessible as possible. 

This is how you supercharge your growth and secure your position as thought leaders. Always ask yourself, are you being transpicuous enough?