More than being clever or persuasive, it’s important to be clear. The first, and most important, question to ask yourself is:

Can the person you’re talking to understand what you’re saying?

Does it make sense? Do they know what you want them to do? Do they need external information to understand what you mean?

The clearer you can be, the lower the opportunity to confuse or alienate someone. When things aren’t clear:

• People get frustrated (“Why is this so hard to understand?”)
• People get suspicious (“What are they hiding?”)
• People check out (“Forget it, I don’t care anymore.”)

Clarity keeps them in the conversation and makes communication a lot more efficient. It’s also kind–it helps avoid misunderstandings and helps people feel secure.

For clearer communication:

Avoid jargon and business-speak. 
Don’t assume people know what “SaaS” means, or even “ROI.” Define terms the first time you use them. Use plain English over business-speak.

Not Clear: “Leverage your tech stack to increase ROI and improve KPIs.”
Clear: “Use your technology platforms to get more out of your investment and improve your results.”

Avoid slang.
The slang people are familiar with varies based on generation, background, and more. There’s a lot of opportunity to be confusing or even offensive.

Go easy on the emojis.
Use emojis sparingly, and only to underscore something you’ve actually said in words, not to replace them.

Not clear: ✔

Clear: ✔ Let’s move ahead.

Be sensible about grammar and mechanics.

• Grammar is a tool for clarity
• Check your spelling
• Follow standard grammar rules
• Starting sentences with conjunctions (and, but, or) and ending them with prepositions (of, with) is fine.