From Jargon to Clarity: Why Simplifying Language Means Smarter Business
If the goal is to get your message across (and have it stick), then clarity wins every time. Yet across industries, professionals still cling to technical jargon like it’s a badge of honor. Problem is, when complex terms are used to signal intelligence or industry expertise, the message gets lost. Worse, it alienates audiences. Whether you’re drafting internal reports, product documentation, or client-facing materials, the ability to simplify complex information is no longer a soft skill. It’s a business necessity.
According to a Nielsen Norman Group study, people typically read only 20% of the words on a webpage. Add dense language into the mix, and that percentage drops further. Decision-makers don’t have the time to decode what you’re trying to say. If the point isn’t clear immediately, you’ve lost them.
This isn’t about dumbing down. It’s about writing smarter.
The Real Cost of Jargon in Business
In industries like tech, finance, or engineering, there’s an understandable reliance on internal vocabulary. But when those terms spill into customer communications, sales materials, or onboarding documents, confusion replaces clarity. Research from the American Press Institute found that readers trust content more when it uses plain language. That means clarity improves comprehension, sure, but it also builds credibility.
Take the healthcare industry as an example. The CDC found that 9 out of 10 adults struggle to understand medical jargon in health-related documents. The consequence? Lower compliance, more mistakes, and less trust. Now imagine the same principle applied to a B2B SaaS platform pitching a new analytics tool. If the client doesn’t understand the benefits clearly, the pitch fails, even if the product is brilliant.
Why Companies Must Invest in Writers and Designers
In-house teams often lack the time (or the skill set) to shape complex internal knowledge into digestible, external-facing material. That’s where hiring content professionals, like Timely Texts’ expert writers for example, pays off. Smart organizations are no longer asking if they should hire writers. They’re asking which kind.
Professional writing skills aren’t just useful for press releases or social media captions. They drive conversions, improve knowledge retention, and ensure brand consistency across departments and touchpoints. Similarly, designers translate abstract data into visuals that guide the reader, helping them follow the story without struggling.
The combination of expert writers and skilled designers helps bridge the gap between what your team knows and what your audience understands. It’s not uncommon to outsource technical writers to refine dense documentation or to collaborate with brand content teams to improve messaging. This investment turns internal insights into business assets.
Practical Strategies to Make Information Clearer
Knowing that clarity matters is one thing. Applying it is another. Here are strategies used by expert communicators to make complex content more accessible:
1. Focus on Outcomes, Not Just Features
Don’t just describe what your product does. Explain what it achieves. For instance, instead of saying, “Our platform uses advanced neural processing layers,” say, “Our platform helps teams reduce processing time by 40%.” This shift from feature to outcome is key in professional communication, which is where useful business communication tips can help.
2. Use Plain Language Without Losing Precision
Simplifying complex information doesn’t mean oversimplifying. The goal is to make technical ideas understandable without stripping away meaning. That means:
- Choosing shorter words when possible (“use” instead of “utilize”)
- Replacing acronyms with full terms on first reference
- Avoiding unnecessary qualifiers
3. Break Information Into Chunks
Long blocks of text create friction. Breaking content into digestible sections with subheadings and bullets improves readability. This tactic also respects the reader’s time.
4. Use Analogies and Real-World Context
When introducing abstract concepts, analogies help anchor meaning. For example, explaining blockchain to a non-technical audience becomes easier when likened to a shared Google Doc with permanent changes.
5. Write for Your Reader, Not Your Peers
Internal documentation can be dense because it’s written by and for subject matter experts. But outward-facing materials need a shift in voice. Use reader-focused messaging. Speak to what they need, not what you want to show off.
Here’s a brief checklist that experienced technical writers often follow when reviewing content for clarity:
- Would this make sense to someone outside my department?
- Does each sentence add value?
- Can this sentence be shorter without losing meaning?
- Am I assuming prior knowledge the reader might not have?
Case in Point: NASA and Plain Language
There’s an anecdote that, in 2022, NASA overhauled a large portion of its public-facing documentation, applying plain-language principles across key projects. According to their internal metrics, this change improved time-on-page and reduced clarification requests by over 30%. When even rocket scientists see the value in simplifying their writing, there’s a lesson worth noting.
Clarity Improves Everything: Sales, Training, Trust
Simplified communication isn’t just a content strategy. It’s a business communication tip that improves nearly every part of your operation.
- In sales: clearer language accelerates the buyer journey
- In customer support: concise messaging reduces follow-ups
- In product teams: user-friendly documentation speeds up adoption
When teams communicate clearly, they reduce friction. When they reduce friction, they save time and money. And when that happens, trust follows. This is why brands that value transparency are outperforming those that bury their services behind complexity.
Why Outsourcing Makes Sense
Many companies now outsource technical writers not because they lack internal talent but because external professionals offer a fresh, reader-focused perspective. External teams are better positioned to identify jargon, eliminate bloat, and present ideas through a more engaging lens.
This doesn’t mean every company needs a full-time writing department. It means that when messaging matters (during a product launch, a funding round, or a rebrand) it pays to bring in specialists who know how to cut through the noise.
