The case for simple language

“We will soon celebrate (a bit belatedly) our 30th anniversary, and we know that it could not have grown into what it is today without your commitment and devotion. We would love it if you, as one of a select group of founders, past presidents, committee chairpersons, and key board members, would accept our invitation to join us as we recognize this milestone, along with the pivotal role you have played in our development.”

I wrote that.

I wrote it for a president of an organization many years ago.

UGH.

I’m guilty of using a thesaurus or too many words with the intent of sounding important and smart. Guess what? It sounds neither important nor smart. It requires too much thinking to get to “the ask.”

The wonderful thing about writing is you can always improve. I have a master’s degree in writing yet I learned much about simple storytelling and plain language from my last manager. I worked for her 15 years after I earned my degree. She isn’t a writer by profession or education, but she is a gifted writer. She has a special combination of beautiful language and simplicity. Her content makes you want to keep reading.

Writing in simple words isn’t dumbing down content. But it is HARD. Most people have a difficult time writing in simple language.

How many articles, emails, and messages do you read per day? How many do you delete immediately? If you aren’t using simple words and short sentences to get your point across, you’ll lose your audience.  For further reading about simple, clear language, check out this article in Harvard Business Review.

So, how would you rewrite the opening paragraph to grab attention? Leave your ideas in the comments.