The Curse of Knowledge

If you want to connect to your customers, don’t talk to them like the expert that you are.

Remember, they don’t know your industry like you do. They don’t know what all the big words and “industry standards” mean. Talk to them in a way that is crystal clear, so that they are not confused.

You're an expert in your business. You've been doing it for a long time. But don't ever forget what it's like to not know your industry. Because that's exactly how your customers feel. They don't know all the jargon. It just confuses them. And when customers get confused, they move on to a competitor who makes things easy to understand.

“When you know something, you forget what it’s like not to know it.” That simply means that our expertise in a particular topic often keeps us from explaining it well, because we make assumptions or use "jargon" that confuses our customers.

When you talk about your business, keep your message simple and clear. It's an easy way to grow your business.