“We need to make sure the MRSPs hold so the retailers and distis don’t freak out over pricing. Worst case, they cancel the SLA, our comp letters blow up, and at the next FPR with the EMEA CM, all hell breaks loose.”
Got that? Probably not. Admittedly, the sentence is a bit exaggerated, but it’s not far from how people talk in a lot of companies. I spent almost seven years in sales at Hewlett-Packard, and I’ve heard my share of it. After a few months, you speak the language yourself without even noticing.
Why corporate speak doesn’t convince
Inside a company, jargon is often useful. Acronyms save time, and everybody knows what they mean. The trouble starts the moment you talk to people outside: customers, partners, investors, the press, or colleagues from other departments.
- Your audience doesn’t get what you mean. And they can’t stop you mid-presentation to ask. So they switch off.
- It creates distance. Speaking in acronyms signals that you belong to a group, and your audience doesn’t.
- Nothing sticks. Acronyms and abstract terms don’t create pictures in people’s heads. And what creates no pictures is quickly forgotten.
You know the result: marketing gibberish nobody wants to hear, and a presentation that’s lost after a few minutes.
Why storytelling is the better answer
At first glance, storytelling sounds like the opposite of serious business communication. It’s one of the most overused buzzwords in marketing, and plenty of executives still think “telling stories” is childish. But storytelling means something very down to earth: putting facts into a situation with people, a problem and a solution.
Here’s the difference in practice:
| Corporate speak | Storytelling |
|---|---|
| “We’re optimizing end-to-end processes across the supply chain.” | “A retailer used to wait three weeks for a delivery. Now it’s four days.” |
| abstract, full of acronyms | concrete, with people and situations |
| creates no pictures | creates a picture that sticks |
| clear only to insiders | clear to everyone |
A story doesn’t beat corporate speak because it’s more entertaining. It wins because people understand it and remember it.
5 steps to a presentation everyone understands
1. Put your key message in one sentence
Before you polish a single phrase: what should your audience think, feel or do after your presentation? Your key message has to be simple enough for someone outside your company to understand.
2. Spell out every acronym
Go through your slides and notes and highlight every acronym. Common ones like EU or CEO can stay. Spell out everything else or replace it with a simple word.
3. Translate technical terms
Not every technical term has to go. But when you use one, explain it in half a sentence the first time. A good test: could you explain it to a twelve-year-old? If not, you may not understand it as well as you think.
4. Tell a concrete example
Find a situation with a real person that illustrates your key message: a customer, a colleague, a project. Two or three sentences are enough. The example turns an abstract statement into something people can picture.
5. Run the outsider test
Present once to someone outside your industry and ask them to raise a hand at every unclear term. You’ll be surprised how often that hand goes up.
What this means for your next presentation
The challenge isn’t to say more. It’s to be understood. If you define a clear key message and wrap it in a story outsiders can follow, you’ll stand out from all the presentations drowning in acronyms. That goes for a pitch to a customer just as much as for a talk to your own team. And clear words work best with clear body language: read more in Body language for presentations.
Bottom line
Jargon saves time inside your company and costs you impact outside it. Spell out acronyms, translate technical terms, define one clear key message and tell it with a concrete example. Then your audience won’t just understand what you say. They’ll remember it. If you want to work on this with your own presentation, we can do it in public speaking coaching or in a workshop for your team.
Frequently asked questions
Why should I avoid jargon in presentations?
Because your audience can't stop you to ask what a term means while you're speaking. So they tune out. Jargon saves time within your own team, but with customers, partners or executives from other departments, it keeps your message from landing.
Can I use any technical terms at all?
Yes, if your audience definitely knows them, for example in a talk to fellow experts. When in doubt, explain a term in half a sentence the first time you use it. Always spell out acronyms unless they're common knowledge.
How do I spot my own jargon?
Present to someone outside your industry and ask them to raise a hand whenever a term is unclear. Or go through your slides and highlight every acronym and every word you'd have to explain to a child.
Isn't storytelling too informal for business presentations?
No. Storytelling doesn't mean telling fairy tales. It means putting facts into a situation with people, a problem and a solution. Board members and investors remember a concrete example far longer than a list of KPIs.
