Kill Jargon

Why do clients hire consultants? Bluntly put, we have some expertise that they don’t. But how do we build a client’s trust in the idea that our skills are not only genuine, but valuable and even necessary? Sure, you could put in the work, make a concerted effort to communicate, and stand behind a demonstrable track record of success. Alternately, you could take a big swing on a cheap shortcut—spewing technical jargon at every opportunity.

Words likely spring to mind already: DevOps. Machine Learning. Blockchain. The Cloud. 

The appeal of jargon to the consultant is understandable, and its overuse may even be unintentional. After all, as developers, architects, and designers, it’s the language that we’re used to speaking. In many cases, it’s the even language that most accurately and efficiently describes our work. 

Unfortunately, being an expert in your field and being an expert communicator of that expertise are rarely the same thing.

More insidiously, unexplained jargon is all too often used by consultants to show off. Whether during contract negotiations, planning sessions, or code reviews, many consultants lean on jargon to intimidate clients into thinking that we’re the smartest people in the room, and they’d be lost without us.

But in reality, value is lost, not gained, when we speak to clients in a way that deliberately leads to a lack of understanding. In this line of work, speaking technically is often unavoidable, but it must be done with the goal of absolute clarity. The expertise that we have as consultants is only valuable when paired with our clients’ foundational knowledge. We might be excellent developers, designers, and architects, but we can never hope to catch up on the knowledge that our clients have of their products and customers. 

Jargon halts the collaboration necessary to produce excellent outcomes, because it obscures a shared understanding of expected outcomes. It says, ‘you couldn’t possibly understand what we’re doing here, so just leave it to us.’ In other words, while the belief among some consultants might be that simpler, more careful communication entails talking down to clients, the opposite is true. 

So, here's what I've done (call it a mantra): Kill jargon. Put genuine, concerted effort into communicating with clients in a way that meets them where they are and seeks to build shared understanding. Sure, it may not be as efficient, and it may require us to step outside of our comfort zones. But ultimately, the relationship between consultant and client is symbiotic, not parasitic. It is our responsibility not only to deliver value to clients, but build value from within. And sure, we could try to demonstrate our expertise by rattling off every technical buzzword we think clients want to hear. But ultimately, our work is what builds trust in our mastery. Through clear, simple communication, we can bring a shared understanding of that work to our client relationships.