This morning I dropped in on a marketing communications webinar—you know, an online seminar. I sure do appreciate the technology that makes webinars possible, and the knowledgeable speakers who impart their expertise to an audience that might be taking notes and sipping coffee while wearing slippers and pajamas (penguins, in my case) instead of business attire.

Today’s topic was about communications writing, and why companies should avoid corporate or industry jargon. The speaker implored us to write for humans. I’m all in favor of that. In fact, I may be a bit ahead of them on this subject. My copywriting has always been full of YOUs, directed at real people, and as simple and engaging as I can make it.

Businesses don’t always feel comfortable with the human approach. When they want to sound like they know what they’re talking about, they sometimes use phrases like this:

“Our approach is multi-disciplinary and our holistic paradigm experience delivers best practices value to our synergistic relationships.”

Okay, so that’s not a real sentence. I made it up, but I swear I’ve seen something similar out there on the interwebs. You know what? Humans hate that stuff.

I can’t put it better than Albert Einstein, who said, “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” It’s the same with business communication. People—your potential customers and clients—don’t want to hear jargon. They simply want to know if you can fix their problem, fulfill their desire, or deliver what they need.

It’s not about you. It’s about them. Talk to your customers like the humans they are. Address their needs and answer their questions and they’re more likely to receive your message.

That is all.