🗣️ The $2 Million Word Problem
At IdeaScale, we discovered that our custom terminology was costing us millions in lost revenue. Users were abandoning our platform not because it lacked features, but because they couldn’t understand what those features were called. The solution? A complete language overhaul that transformed our business.
Words are the invisible architecture of user experience. They guide, confuse, clarify, or obfuscate every interaction users have with your product. Yet most companies treat language as an afterthought—something to polish after the “real work” of development is done.
This is a catastrophic mistake. The language you use in your product, marketing, and communications can make or break your user experience faster than any design flaw or technical bug. I learned this lesson the hard way when I realized that IdeaScale’s proprietary terminology was creating an invisible barrier that prevented users from understanding and adopting our platform.
🔍 The Hidden Cost of Custom Terminology
When I became CEO of IdeaScale, I inherited a platform filled with creative, company-specific terms that sounded impressive in internal meetings but were mystifying to users. We had “Innovation Funnels” instead of workflows, “Idea Campaigns” instead of challenges, and “Ideation Spaces” instead of categories.
Each term required users to learn IdeaScale-specific vocabulary before they could effectively use our platform. We were essentially asking customers to learn a new language just to manage their innovation processes. The cognitive load was enormous, and it was killing our user adoption rates.
⚠️ The Terminology Trap: Warning Signs Your Language Is Failing
🤔 Support tickets asking “What does X mean?”
đź“š Need for extensive glossaries or help documentation
⏰ Long onboarding times as users learn your vocabulary
🔄 Users creating their own terms for your features
đź“Š The Great IdeaScale Language Audit
The transformation began with a comprehensive language audit. I personally went through every label, tooltip, help text, and menu item in our software. For each piece of text, I asked three simple questions:
1. Would my grandmother understand this?
2. Does this use industry-standard terminology?
3. Can I explain this in fewer words?
The results revealed that much of our interface text was unnecessarily complex. We had created terminology that existed nowhere else in the business world, forcing users to become IdeaScale translators before they could become IdeaScale users.
The Systematic Replacement Strategy
The systematic replacement process focused on identifying areas where our custom terminology was creating barriers to user understanding. We replaced proprietary terms with industry-standard language that users already knew, and simplified explanatory text throughout the interface to use plain English with fewer words.
🎯 The Immediate Impact of Speaking Human
The results of our language revolution were immediate and dramatic:
The results of our language revolution were significant. Users began navigating the platform more intuitively, and we saw improvements in user satisfaction and feature adoption as the barriers to understanding were removed.
More importantly, users stopped asking “What does this do?” and started asking “How can I do more with this?” We had removed a fundamental friction point that was preventing people from engaging with our platform’s capabilities.
đź’Ľ Beyond Software: The Email Revolution
The principles of plain language extend far beyond product interfaces. In my sales and M&A communications, I’ve discovered that directness and clarity dramatically outperform clever copy and corporate-speak.
Most sales emails I receive follow a predictable pattern of deception:
❌ The Traditional (Broken) Sales Email
“Hi [Name], I’d love to learn more about your business and explore potential partnership opportunities…”
Translation: “I want to sell you something, but I’m going to waste your time making you figure out what it is.”
This approach forces recipients to decode the sender’s true intentions, adding unnecessary cognitive load to every interaction. As an executive, I hate these emails because they disrespect my time and intelligence.
The Direct Communication Framework
Instead, I train my salespeople to use what I call “Cognitive Respect Communication”:
âś… The Respectful Sales Email
“Hi [Name], I want to sell you [Product X] for [Price Range]. It will save your team approximately [Specific Time/Money] by [Specific Mechanism]. Here’s a 2-minute demo: [Link].”
Result: Recipient knows exactly what you want, what you’re offering, and what it costs them (in time and money).
This approach eliminates the cognitive load of deciphering intentions and allows recipients to make quick, informed decisions. It’s not just more ethical—it’s more effective. Our sales team sees 3x higher response rates using this direct approach.
🧠The Science of Cognitive Fluency
The power of plain language isn’t just anecdotal—it’s backed by solid psychological research. Cognitive fluency, the ease with which information comes to mind, directly impacts how people perceive and interact with your content.
🔬 The Psychology of Processing Fluency
Easy to process = Trustworthy: Information that’s simple to understand is perceived as more credible
Familiar = Safe: Using known terminology reduces anxiety and increases confidence
Concise = Important: Shorter explanations are perceived as more valuable and actionable
Clear = Professional: Plain language signals competence and user focus
When you use complex terminology or verbose explanations, you’re not demonstrating sophistication—you’re creating cognitive friction that makes users work harder to understand your value proposition.
đź“ť The Plain Language Toolkit
Implementing a language revolution in your organization requires systematic thinking and practical tools. Here’s the framework I use to transform complex communication into clear, actionable language:
🛠️ The CLEAR Method
C – Cut the Jargon
Replace industry-specific terms with words your grandmother would understand. If you must use technical terms, define them immediately.
L – Limit Word Count
Every word should earn its place. If you can say something in 5 words instead of 10, always choose 5.
E – Embrace Active Voice
“Click the button” is clearer than “The button should be clicked.” Active voice creates urgency and clarity.
A – Answer “So What?”
Every piece of text should immediately answer why the user should care. Features tell, benefits sell, but outcomes win.
R – Read Aloud Test
If it sounds unnatural when spoken, it will feel unnatural when read. Good copy sounds like human conversation.
🎯 Industry Standards: Your Secret Weapon
One of the most powerful decisions we made at IdeaScale was adopting industry-standard terminology wherever possible. Instead of inventing new names for common concepts, we researched what terms our users already knew and adopted those.
This strategy has three major benefits:
Zero Learning Curve: Users can immediately understand functionality without explanation
Reduced Support Burden: No need to explain custom terminology in documentation or support calls
Easier Adoption: Teams can advocate for your product using familiar language
đź’ˇ The Industry Standard Research Process
1. Survey your competitors: What terms do they use for similar features?
2. Check industry publications: What vocabulary appears in trade magazines and blogs?
3. Listen to customers: What words do they use when describing their needs?
4. Test with users: Which terms are understood faster in user testing?
⚡ The Compound Effect of Clear Communication
The impact of plain language extends far beyond individual interactions. When you consistently use clear, direct communication across all touchpoints, you create what I call the “Clarity Compound Effect”:
Faster Onboarding: New users understand your product quickly
Reduced Support Costs: Fewer questions about basic functionality
Higher Feature Adoption: Users discover and use more capabilities
Better Word-of-Mouth: Users can easily explain your product to others
Improved Team Alignment: Internal teams speak the same language as customers
🎯 The Language Challenge
Take a screenshot of your product’s main interface. Count how many terms require explanation to a new user. Each unexplained term is a barrier to adoption.
Your goal: Zero unexplained terms.
🚀 Implementing Your Language Revolution
Transforming your communication doesn’t happen overnight, but it doesn’t have to take months either. Start with these high-impact areas:
Primary Navigation: Ensure every menu item uses familiar terminology
Call-to-Action Buttons: Use action words that clearly indicate outcomes
Error Messages: Explain what went wrong and what to do next in plain English
Onboarding Flow: Remove jargon from your first-user experience
Sales Communications: Lead with value, not clever positioning
Remember: the goal isn’t to sound smart—it’s to be understood. In a world where attention is the scarcest resource, clarity isn’t just a nice-to-have feature—it’s your competitive advantage.
Every word you use either helps or hurts your user experience. Choose wisely, and watch your adoption rates soar.
