IAMU Informer
Follow IAMU!
  • Informer News Feed
  • IAMU Website

Communication Corner: A look at how to connect with your customers and other stakeholders

10/20/2020

0 Comments

 
A plain language primer – making sure everyone understands your communications
 
You might have heard of or come across the term plain language. It’s talked about more and more these days. Some people think plain language is dumbing down information, but it’s not. It’s using words and structure that lead to effective communications so just about anyone can understand, process, and apply the information being delivered. Isn’t that what we all want?
 
According to PlainLanguage.gov, “No one technique defines plain language. Rather, plain language is defined by results — it is easy to read, understand and use.”
 
With that said, let’s take a look at some common language and design techniques that can help achieve the results.
  • and other pronouns — Using pronouns pulls your audience into the communications and makes it more meaningful. Use you for the reader, I when writing question headings from the reader’s viewpoint, and we for your organization.
  • Active voice — Using active voice clarifies who is doing what. On the other hand, passive voice obscures it. What’s more, active voice is generally shorter, as well as clearer. Active sentences are structured with the actor first (as the subject), then the verb, then the object of the action. (e.g., Write or say, “The storm knocked out the power,” instead of “The power was knocked out by the storm.”)
  • Short sentences and paragraphs — Using short sentences, paragraphs, and sections helps your audience get through your material. People get lost in long, dense text with few headings.
  • Common, everyday words — You don’t impress people by using big words; you just confuse them. Why include utilize or leverage when use will do? Also, stay away from jargon, foreign terms, Latin terms, and legal terms. For a handy list of simple words to use instead of more complex words or wordy phrases, click here.
  • Easy-to-read design features — Think headers, pulled quotes, bulleted lists, and tables. You’ll be adding more white space to your communications, making it more appealing to your audience. Don’t forget to switch up the font color, too. But, don’t go overboard. Stick with one accent font.

If you try these writing and design techniques in your communications, you may just make your messages easy to process and understand, and that’s a good thing.
 
P.S. Just in case you don’t believe us when it comes to the power of plain language, here is what a few others had to say about it:
  • “If you can’t explain something simply, you don’t understand it well. Most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone. Everything should be as simple as it can be, yet no simpler.” — Albert Einstein
  • “The shorter and the plainer the better.” — Beatrix Potter
  • “The trouble with so many of us is that we underestimate the power of simplicity.” — Robert Stuberg
  • “Use the smallest word that does the job.” — E.B. White
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

      Subscribe To The Informer

      You can subscribe to The Informer by adding the RSS feed to your feed reader. Or, to request to be added to our weekly email blast, provide your information below.  NOTE-you must be an IAMU member (utility, affiliate, or associate) to receive the email blast.
    Submit

    Archives

    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014

    RSS Feed

Picture

Copyright 2018 Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities