Make Your Jargon Less Jarring: How to Include the Whole Audience When Delivering Complex Information

Have you ever had to present complex information at a meeting knowing the audience includes people with various levels of familiarity on the topic? It can be a struggle, since you want to present the information effectively for those well informed, and yet in a way that is accessible for those less in the know. Here are some suggestions for keeping everyone on the same page.

Make It Effortless for Your Audience

The overarching concept when delivering a presentation is to make it effortless for your audience to understand your ideas. This doesn’t mean “dumbing things down.” It means being smart and discerning enough to know your audience and what they are trying to gain from your talk. You can still share complex ideas and elevate your audience’s understanding of challenging issues. You just need to be thoughtful of what language and positioning will resonate with your listeners.

Use Only the Jargon that Is Necessary

You’ve been asked to deliver the talk because you’re an expert on the topic. Experts are familiar with industry or professional lingo and use it effortlessly because they live and breathe their material. To not use that language would be odd. Using phrases considered “terms of art” or industry jargon says to your audience, “I, too, am an expert.”

That said, use only those terms necessary to make your point. Challenge yourself on whether you are using a particular term because it’s needed rather than because you think it makes you look smart. If a particular term is so esoteric that even the well-informed audience members will have to think for a moment to process what you’ve said, consider skipping the jargon and using more common language.

If you are not just “an” expert, but “the” expert on the topic, assume no one in the audience is going to know some of the arcane terms that have seeped into your brain and seem like standard language to you. Use only the terminology that will make immediate sense to the vast majority of your audience members. You want the audience to think hard about the complex ideas, not about the language you’re using to express them.

Use “Preface Language” to Include Everyone

Before you use any word or phrase that might even remotely be considered jargon, use what’s called “preface language.” Say:

“This is what’s called X,” (as I just did in the previous sentence before saying “preface language.”)

“What’s commonly referred to as Y.”

“What’s known as Z.”

All these phrases say the same thing. You just need a variety of ways of saying this, since you might be using a lot of jargon depending on your content.

By using preface language, you tell those in your audience who are less well informed, “Don’t worry. I know this is jargon you may not understand. I’m going to guide you through it.” You create a safe and inclusive conversation.

If you don’t use the preface language, every time you use jargon the people who are less well-informed start feeling left out, marginalized, or wondering if they belong in the meeting at all. If an audience member starts thinking, “Am I supposed to know what that means?” Or, “I think I’m in over my head,” they start to disconnect. They check their phone or start thumbing through whatever document is in front of them thinking, “I’m already lost. I might as well just tune out.”

Even worse, instead of challenging their own knowledge base and reason for being present, audience members might start challenging the speaker. “Does he not understand his audience?” That’s a death knell for your credibility, since it suggests you came in unprepared or unknowing. Whether the audience blames the disconnect on themselves or on you as the speaker, you’ve lost them and will have little or no impact as a result.

Use Rhetorical Questions to Keep Everyone Engaged

After you have shared either a few important ideas or the one key concept you want the audience to know, use a rhetorical question to keep everyone engaged. Ask, “So, why should you care?” Or, “How does this impact you?” Or, “What action should you consider as a result of this?” When you use a rhetorical question, two important things happen.

First, you create a more intimate setting. You foster the notion that your presentation is more of a conversation, regardless of whether it is or not. Just using the word “you” grabs the attention of each member of the audience.

Second, and more importantly, when you are practicing your talk beforehand and you use that language, you challenge yourself to say, “Why should the audience care?” And, “How does this impact them?” Which challenges you to consider how you are positioning your content for maximum impact and relevance for your listeners.

In short:

• Use all the jargon that’s helpful and none of the jargon that alienates people.
• Preface each use of jargon with language that let’s the audience know you’ll make this easy for them.
• Use rhetorical questions to keep people engaged and keep yourself focused on the needs of the listeners.

Originally published on Inc. Magazine.