Speak To Me In Plain English
"Our value proposition is leveraged on our legacy-system-enabled protocols, providing strategic global connectivity while maximizing stakeholder value through AI-driven customer-concentric solutions."
What? When I hear language like this, my eyes glaze over. I stop listening. I suspect I'm not alone.
Business has always had a love affair with buzzwords, but artificial intelligence has made the problem worse. Today, anyone can generate a page of impressive-sounding corporate language with a single prompt. The result is often flawless grammar wrapped around fuzzy thinking.
If you can't explain your idea in plain English, perhaps you don't understand it yourself. Communication isn't about sounding intelligent. It's about being understood.
The irony is that plain English isn't simplistic. It forces you to think clearly before you speak or write. You have to choose words carefully, remove unnecessary fluff, and say exactly what you mean. Avoid lawyer words or phrases.
In an era when AI can produce endless streams of polished marketing copy, clarity has become a competitive advantage. Customers are overwhelmed by advertising, spam, phishing scams, and automated messages that all sound alike. They don't need more polished language. They need honesty. People trust people who speak like people.
The next time someone tells you they are "committed to excellence," ask a simple question: "What does that look like?" Expect a long pause. Then perhaps a little tap dancing.
Write as if you're talking to a friend across the kitchen table. Use words your customers use. Replace buzzwords with examples. Replace slogans with facts.
Plain English builds understanding which in turn builds trust. And trust is still the best marketing strategy ever invented.
John Bradley Jackson © Copyright 2026 All rights reserved.
P.S. Use technical terms when your audience needs them. Engineers, physicians, and attorneys all have specialized vocabularies for good reasons. But if you're talking to customers, investors, or the public, speak their language and not yours.