As a demonstration of the power of effective language compared with the language most of us encounter in our daily lives today, consider this parody of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, demonstrating what it would look like as a PowerPoint presentation. It was created by essayist Peter Norvig.
In today’s Attention Economy, where every nonprofit message must compete for attention with every other message that your audience sees or hears, does it matter much how effectively you communicate? Does it matter whether you make yourself clear with donors, funders, board members, and the people who use your services? I’m sure universally the answer would be “Yes.”
In the Attention Economy, people want a return on their investment when they invest attention in something you have written. They want something interesting, or useful, or stimulating, or inspirational.
Anyone who doubts the power of effective words vs. pedestrian use of language should look at the success that Barack Obama has had, largely built upon the power of his rhetoric and use of language. He’s not the first to build his reputation largely on the power of his language: Reagan did it, and Kennedy, Churchill, Lincoln and many others. Whether he goes on to achieve further greatness remains to be seen; but I’d dare to say that what separates many of the great leaders from the good ones is their ability to communicate, because with that ability they are able to write their way into the history books.
Closer to home, given that effective communication is essential to any nonprofit’s mission, you have to wonder why we see so much counterproductive communication.
I just finished listening to a webinar featuring Tony Proscio, a writer dedicated to nonprofit and especially foundation communications. He is well known for his crusade against jargon in nonprofit communications. Jargon is not just trite or annoying; it harms the people we serve. If a nonprofit fails to secure funding simply because it writes an incomprehensible grant request, the people who suffer are the clients of that nonprofit.
Yet people are often afraid to write clearly. They fear that people will think less of their ideas if those ideas are not dressed in tuxedos. Ultimately, I believe, many writers want their ideas to sound like everyone else’s ideas, so that they’ll gain acceptance. This is the root cause of jargon in nonprofit communications.
A sidenote on a related matter: Many nonprofits rely way too much on statistics and laundry lists. "We served 900 people, fed 3,000 families, transported 2,289 seniors, etc. etc." Readers are given no context to interpret such numbers. Is 900 good or bad? Is 3,000o more or less than last year? Is 2,289 more than nonprofits your size in comparable communities? Such numbers are numbing, not persuasive. Nonprofits have the most compelling stories in the world to share, and when they default to such laundry lists and abstractions, they forfeit their most precious communications asset: human stories of lives changed by the nonprofit's services.
OK, back to the main point about jargon: If you want to persuade people, you have to connect with them. Jargon doesn’t connect. It divides. It doesn’t penetrate. It doesn’t impress. So it doesn’t persuade. It doesn’t work, period.
The solution? Be yourself. Write the way you talk. Keep it simple. Have something important to say. Most of all, let a little personality show. Be human. You won't sound like everyone else; you'll stand out. You'll inspire confidence as someone whose ideas are so bold that they can be expressed without window dressing. You'll gain positive attention for your cause. You'll persuade people to take the action that you want them to take.
I highly recommend Proscio’s three short booklets on the topic of nonprofit communications and jargon, which you can download right now for free, courtesy of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. The books are written from a foundation perspective but you’ll find that they apply to all nonprofits. They are funny, insightful and helpful.
These free books are a great tool for helping your nonprofit get more attention in the Attention Economy. Jargon makes readers seek another place to invest their attention. Good writing, on the other hand, rewards the readers' interest with each passing word, endearing them to the writer and his or her mission.
