By Darryl Sparey, MD at Hard Numbers
There’s a time and a place for buzzwords or acronyms, and I’d definitely say that they’re NSFW. In my years working across sales, marketing, and PR, one thing has become clear—nothing kills a conversation in the C-suite faster than jargon. Yet, the marketing industry is littered with it. Acronyms are tossed around like confetti, and buzzwords get thrown into every other sentence as if that somehow adds value. It doesn’t. In fact, it does the opposite. When you speak in terms that only an industry insider would understand, you’re not just confusing your audience; you’re alienating them.
At Hard Numbers, we’ve made it our mission to avoid buzzwords and cut through the nonsense. It’s partly selfish: I dislike having to remember a large number of acronyms. But I genuinely believe that if you truly understand a subject, you should be able to explain it in plain English, in words your Mum would understand. Anything else isn’t communication — it’s noise.
Marketing and communications budgets and performance are under more scrutiny than ever. So clear communication is essential. Senior leaders and budget holders aren’t interested in hearing about your “multi-channel funnel attribution models” or how you’ve “increased positive share of sentiment in tier one media coverage”. They want to know exactly what you’re doing, why you’re doing it, and—most importantly—how it’s going to deliver top-line impact for the business.
Acronyms are a barrier to understanding
Jargon isn’t just lazy language—it’s a barrier to understanding. When you load your communications with acronyms and buzzwords, you’re assuming that your audience shares the same level of knowledge. But in reality, you might be talking to someone who isn’t a digital marketing expert or a data scientist. And even if they are, they might not be familiar with your particular set of acronyms or specialised language.
For example, let’s say you’re pitching for budget for a new campaign from your CFO or Finance Director. If you start talking about “LTV,” “CAC,” or “MQLs,” you might as well be speaking a foreign language. You’re not building credibility; you’re building a wall. The more you pepper your speech with these terms, the more likely you are to lose the room.
And here’s what you need to consider: the need to simplify language isn’t just for the sake of senior leaders. It applies to everyone. If you can’t articulate what you’re doing in plain English, do you really understand it yourself?
The Solution: Speak Human
To communicate effectively, you need to speak like a human being. Use words people actually use in real life. There’s a brilliance in making the complex seem simple, and that’s what earns trust and gets people on-side.
When you communicate in plain English, you show respect for your audience’s time and intelligence. You’re making an effort to be understood, rather than just showing off your vocabulary. It’s about getting to the heart of the matter—what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, and why it’s going to work. If you can do that, you’ll not only get buy-in from senior leaders, but you’ll also inspire confidence in your team and other stakeholders too.
Words Matter
I’m not saying there isn’t a place for specialist terms. In some settings—like a technical discussion with your data team—you need to speak in their language. But that’s about knowing your audience, not defaulting to jargon as a crutch. At Hard Numbers, we focus on communicating in a way that’s clear, direct, and jargon-free because we know that words matter. The right words can make the difference between getting the budget you need to execute a campaign or getting told, in the immortal words of Alec Baldwin’s character in Glengarry Glen Ross, to “hit the bricks”.
The point here isn’t to dumb down your language. It’s to make it accessible. If you can’t explain your strategy without an alphabet soup of acronyms, then you haven’t nailed your messaging yet. And if your Mum wouldn’t understand it, what makes you think your CEO will?
The Business Case for Plain English
The business world is already complicated enough. Simplifying your language doesn’t just improve communication; it speeds up decision-making. When you talk in plain English, your ideas don’t get lost in translation. Decisions are made quicker, initiatives move forward faster, and results come sooner. It’s a competitive advantage.
In today’s results-driven environment, marketers and communicators need to justify their budgets and demonstrate the value of what they do. That’s hard to achieve if you’re drowning in buzzwords and jargon. Speaking plainly isn’t about stripping away the sophistication of what we do—it’s about making sure that the sophistication is understood and valued.
Even Obi Wan Kenobi needed to speak clearly when using the Jedi mind trick, otherwise he’d just be waving his hands around and whilst mumbling nonsense. The same goes for marketers. If your language is vague or overcomplicated, you’re not demonstrating mastery—you’re hiding behind jargon.
So, the next time you’re about to throw in a buzzword or drop an acronym into a presentation, ask yourself if there’s a simpler way to say it. Challenge yourself to talk about your work in words your Mum could understand. If you can do that, you’ll not only get buy-in from senior leaders and budget holders, but you’ll also elevate the entire conversation.
Words matter. Use ones your Mum could understand, then everyone will.
