Are you digestable?

Scott Ginsberg, better known online as Hello, my name is Scott, issued an interesting challenge:  explain your philosophy in terms of an "-able" word. It didn't take me long to hit upon the right word, either:

digestable.

If you're digestable, it means that your brilliance can be broken up into smaller bits that others can process.  Someone who has spent years of his or her life mastering a particular craft, technique, or discipline can discover that the people who need their services don't realize it, because they simply can't digest it.  A digestable entrepreneur is one who can break down those years of mastery into the key points a potential client needs to understand.

There is one important concept to remember when trying to bring an idea to market:

Jargon is not digestable.

Jargon is the fiber of your business diet.  It's extremely important because it allows ideas to flow and develop.  It is incredibly precise; a shorthand that minimizes misunderstandings and allows for clear communication among trained professionals.  There are situations that would quickly become disasters in the absence of jargon, for example:

• Moving a piano. Movers have particular terms they use to communicate which way a piece of furniture should be turned.  Misunderstandings can lead to breakage of both valuable furniture and valuable people.
• Performing surgery. Would you really want your surgical team to use terms like "the squishy round thing" during your open heart surgery?
• Writing contracts.  Legal terminology has been tested and defined in the courts, and attorneys must use very precise language to protect their clients' interests.

Just like fiber, though, too much jargon can bind things up.  Try asking that attorney to explain to you a word like "laches."  Without a law degree you may find your mind wandering and your eyes glazing over.  The explanation may be accurate, but you lack the context to understand it.

This happens to varying degrees in every business.  Jargon is a necessary part of developing a set of skills, but if your clients don't share your training it become an indigestable mass of information.  It's difficult to let it go, because it means sacrificing the precision that it brings.

The secret to detechnical writing, as I call it, is to strike a balance. Your clients need digestable ideas in order to understand what you have to offer.  Your work requires jargon in order for you to provide the quality they expect.  The diet you feed your prospects and clients needs some of that jargon-fiber, but it's almost certainly less than you think.  Ask yourself:

• Do my target clients have the same education I do?
• Which technical terms must I use to avoid creating liability?
• Am I spending more time explaining my words than I am explaining my services?

Digestability will allow your potential and existing clients to see the value in what you have to offer.  You're offering a taste of your skills so that they can decide if they want more.  Not every client wants or needs to understand every aspect of what you do; they have their own expertise to focus on.  If your client wants to understand the meat of your offering, awesome!  Until you know what they're hungry for, though, you'll do a lot better by not forcing them to bite off more than they can chew.

Check out Scott's book for more "-able" ideas for business.