THE ABC’S OF ACRONYMS AND JARGON

The Exceptional Spokesperson in a jargon-rich industry knows how to adapt and articulate in ways that will be understood by the journalist and, hence, the target public.

Never assume that the journalist understands the acronyms and leave it up him/her to translate it for the finished story.  It is worse still in broadcast, where the first mention of an unfamiliar acronym will disengage the viewer.  It’s the spokesperson’s responsibility to make what they’re saying understandable to both the journalist and the audience.

A fair spokesperson may fall into the habit of stopping to explain each acronym or insider term as soon as they’ve used it.   

A good spokesperson will do the reverse and speak in the language of the audience and, when necessary, add the acronym or jargon, almost as if it were in parentheses. In this way, the listener or reader connects first with the concept, and then hears the label, which they may or may not even need to know.

The Exceptional Spokesperson stays away from jargon and acronyms altogether and conveys powerful ideas and tells stories that resonate.    

The Exceptional Spokesperson knows that good communication is about making sure the audience:

1.  Understands

2.  Remembers

3.  Takes the desired action

4.  Tells others

Mothers with apple pies and sons of guns. 

Culturally irrelevant metaphors and slang should also be avoided.  Most people around the world know what baseball is.  But when it comes to football, most of the world associates it with soccer.  So, the Exceptional Spokesperson makes sure that sports analogies relate to global audiences.  Same goes for Americanisms and regional expressions.  

Motherhood and apple pie are some of the many "country insider" concepts that need to be modified for audiences outside the United States.

Motherhood and apple pie resonate in the United States but not in other countries where the references may fall on deaf ears.  One of my favorites (and most perplexing) growing up here as a Cuban exile was "son of a gun."  Try explaining this one to a French audience.  

Mind your kilograms and meters.  

The Exceptional Spokesperson is conscious of when and how to use references to measurements, weights and temperatures in the metric system, the standard for most of the world except the United Sates. The same goes for foreign currency and dollar equivalents.

The Exceptional Spokesperson is prepared, knowledgeable and tuned into the target audience.