Member Article

Jargon busting

It struck me yesterday, as I said the following lines, how odd they were: “Killing the house: taking down the dress.” My audience knew what I meant but ‘outsiders’ wouldn’t. As I was only speaking to other ‘insiders’ it was no problem. (Here’s why I said it – www.thirdsectorevents.co.uk)

What is a problem though, is that presenters should be so far ‘inside’ their own subject that they can’t spot their own jargon. If you can easily spot it, you’re probably not sufficiently used to using it for it to be natural!

The same can’t be said for your audience, though.

Most of us know we can’t spot our own spelling or grammar mistakes when we proofread something we’ve written – and the same is true for our jargon. Today’s tip is very, very simple. Get someone (an ‘outsider’) to read or listen to your presentation when you practice it (you do practice, don’t you?) and put their hand up every time you say something they don’t understand without thinking – even if it’s only for half a second! It’s not rocket science but it might just be the saving of your presentation!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .