Let me tell you about the best/worst snack I have ever accidentally, but also not accidentally ordered. I was at a local cafe, and ordered a BLT. The barista asked what I wanted on the side and rattled off the options. The last one? “Peanut butter cup.” My eyes lit up, and I practically shouted, “Oh yes! That one!”
Now, yes, somewhere in the back of my mind I thought it was a little unusual. But I figured it was some fancy, high-end chocolate situation. And I cannot say no to a good peanut butter cup. Much to my dismay, what arrived was a small cup. Filled with peanut butter.
A cup of peanut butter. Not a peanut butter cup.
To say I was disappointed was an understatement. I was really looking forward to chocolate and peanut butter. I ate a little of it, but that moment stuck with me. Because here is the thing, the barista said exactly what they meant. And I heard something completely different. So, who is wrong? The truth is, it is not a failure of intelligence on either side. It’s actually a failure of words. And, this happens in marketing. Every. Single. Day
Business owners, especially those deep in their craft, talk about what they do using the language they know. Industry terms. Acronyms. Shorthand that makes perfect sense to you and your peers. But your customer? They are standing there hearing “peanut butter cup” and picturing something completely different.
Here is the stat that should stop you in your tracks, about 130 million U.S. adults, roughly 54% of those between the ages of 16 and 74, read below a sixth-grade level. And according to a report from the U.S. Department of Education, the average American reads at a 7th or 8th-grade level. National UniversityAct-On
This is not about intelligence. It is about accessibility. Think for a moment, are you a reader or a skimmer? This is something you should always have top of mind as it applies directly to how you write your website copy, your captions, your emails, your everything.
Research by Christopher Trudeau at the Thomas M. Cooley Law School found that 80% of readers prefer sentences written in clear, plain English. Additionally, the more complex the issue, the stronger that preference becomes. He also found that the more educated and knowledgeable the reader, the more they prefer plain language. VisibleThread
Read that again. Your most sophisticated customers want you to be clearer, not more complex.
Colleen’s Light Bulb Moment
Before Pink Sheep, I worked at a tourist attraction giving guided cave tours. Part of my script explained how the cave formed. I could recite it forward and backward: “500 million years ago, Colorado was a warm and shallow sea…”
But honestly? I did not fully understand what I was saying. I had memorized words, but I really didn’t know what it meant. Now, had I stopped and really thought about it, I am certain it would have made sense. But then something super cool happened. I was training for a kids’ summer program. The educators ran an experiment that walked through the entire process, step by step, showing how an ancient ocean eventually led to animal life becoming fossilized rock. Suddenly, the lightbulbs started going off. Not just for the kids, but for 16-year-old me.
That was the moment I understood, you can explain deeply complex ideas in ways that actually make sense, without losing any of the depth. Simplifying your language is not dumbing it down. It is respecting your audience enough to meet them where they are. I have taught Public Speaking at the local State college for nearly a decade and I emphasize this every semester. You can explain things in simple terms without talking down to your audience. It’s all in your approach.
Being an Expert Does Not Mean Being Hard to Understand
There is a version of “expertise” that feels the need to prove itself through complexity. Long sentences and technical jargon. Concepts explained only to others who already understand them. But nobody wants to buy from someone who makes them feel like they missed a memo.
A wise mentor once told me that when you are talking about your business, assume people know absolutely nothing about what you do. Because what makes perfect sense in your head does not always make sense to everyone else. And honestly, that advice has stuck with me ever since, because it is so easy to forget. At that point in my career, I was a little annoyed to hear that because I felt like I was repeating myself, but she was right. You’re hopefully always reaching new people who know nothing about you. Welcome them in.
The businesses people actually want to buy from are the ones who talk with them, not at them. That distinction matters more now than ever. We are living in a time when customers expect conversation, not lecture. And I feel like I preach this all the time. Customers want someone they know, like, and trust. Talking down to someone, or over their head will not make them feel invaluable, making your product and service invaluable to them.
So here is your practical challenge – take your most important piece of marketing copy, whether it is your bio, your homepage, a recent caption, or your offer description, and read it out loud to someone completely unfamiliar with what you do. Watch their face. See where they slow down or look confused. Those are your peanut butter cup moments.
And if you do not have someone available for that, use AI. Seriously, this is a wonderful use of AI. Ask it to play devil’s advocate, or to respond as someone who knows nothing about your industry. Ask it, “Pretend you know nothing about me or my business, does this make sense? Tell me from this statement what I do or offer.” It is one of the most practical ways to find the gaps between what you think you said and what people actually hear. I did this recently and won’t lie, it hurt a little. Because we get in our way a lot. We forget who we are talking to, and end up talking to ourselves, not our ideal customer.
The Right Words Are Your Competitive Advantage
Your competitors are probably writing copy full of jargon, assumptions, and insider language. That creates an opening for you. When you communicate clearly, in words your customer actually uses and understands, you build trust before they ever make a purchase. Clarity is not a compromise, it is a strategy win for you!
Say what you mean. Not what you assume people already understand.
I’d say maybe double-check the menu before you order, but this particular cafe didn’t have anything listed about this peanut butter cup…um, cup of peanut butter!
