If Your Buyer Needs a Translator, You’ve Already Lost

We meet and work with brilliant founders who’ve been taught that credibility comes from complexity: dense posts, technical talk, immaculate detail.

The truth is… it doesn’t.

It may have been the case 20 years ago, but the modern way of communicating has drastically changed.

In a noisy world, the people who get chosen by new clients, new hires, new business partners, are the people who are seen and understood by their buyers.

That isn’t necessarily fair, but it is human.

Buyers make decisions using signals, shortcuts, and stories long before they compare technical specifications. Which is why an invisible, or (indecipherable) founder costs a business more than missed likes on LinkedIn. It looks like lost intros and lost deals, while a competitor who’s half as competent but twice as clear gets the credit.

Visibility isn’t vanity.

Done right, visibility is a strategic tool for founder-led businesses.

The Visibility Trap: Smart Posts = Silent Pipeline

Picture this:

You spend hours on writing a thoughtful post on LinkedIn. It's full of all your industry knowledge and the language that you'd use in your business to talk to colleagues and peers every day. 

Comments flood in.... from colleagues and peers.

Debates start.

One-upmanship follows.

Lesson: Your industry technical knowledge gets respect from people who will never buy from you.

Meanwhile, the buyer is thinking:

• “What the hell are they talking about”
• “Is this for me?”
• “What problem does this fix?”
• “How risky is this?”
• “Will this person make my life easier?”

If your content can’t answer those questions in plain words within seconds, attention slips... and so does the opportunity.

What are those peer threads actually talking about?

• Architecture choices, frameworks, and stack debates
• Acronyms and methodologies (OKRs vs V2MOM, EDA vs SOA, MMM vs MTA)
• Edge-case performance and elegant design patterns
• “Best practice” sparring and theoretical trade-offs

I got bored just writing this.

Because it's all great for being the expert in your field. But it's totally useless for your buyer who needs fewer headaches, lower risk, and visible ROI.

Being seen isn’t enough; being understood is the bridge to being chosen.

Clarity Before Credibility

Most founders try to prove they’re good (credibility) before they’ve made themselves easy to understand (clarity).

Flip the order:

1. Clarity: “I understand your world and your problem.”
2. Relevance: “Here’s the outcome you care about.”
3. Credibility: “Here’s proof I can deliver.”
4. Action: “Here’s the next step.”

Lead with #1 and #2 so you’re understood.

Earn #3.

Make #4 easy.

The Clarity Wins Framework

Pain → Plain Words → Proof → Next Step.

• Pain (their words): Name one felt problem exactly as your buyer says it.
• Plain Words: Describe your approach at 101 level: no acronyms, no internal labels.
• Proof: One number, one quote, or one before/after.
• Next Step: A simple action (reply, book a meeting, download a thing).

Use this everywhere: posts, emails, website hero etc. 

Rewrite Clinic: Turn Jargon into Buyer Language

Before (data/tech):

“We implement event-driven microservices to optimise throughput and resilience.”

After (ops leader):

“Your platform won’t fall over on busy days, and new features won’t break the rest.”

—

Before (HR/OD):

“We deploy an evidence-based, capability-led framework to transform leadership behaviours.”

After (CEO):

“Your managers will hold better 1:1s in four weeks, and you’ll see fewer escalations by quarter-end.”

—

Before (marketing):

“Full-funnel attribution with MMM and incrementality testing.”

After (CFO):

“We’ll show which channels actually move revenue so you can stop wasting 20–30% of ad spend.”

Rule of thumb: If a bright 14-year-old wouldn’t get it, it’s not clear enough. Simple isn't the same as shallow.

Five Rules That Make Buyers Lean In

1. One idea per message. If your post has three lessons, it has none.
2. Outcomes > features. Say what changes, not what it is.
3. Cut the clever. Clever gets likes; clear gets replies.
4. Proof in a spoon, not a bucket. One stat beats a case-study avalanche.
5. Invite a sentence, not a saga. End with a question they can answer in 10–20 words.

What Your Buyer Is Really Testing

• Can I work with you? (Do you speak my language?)
• Will you reduce my risk? (Do you get my constraints?)
• Will this pay back? (When will I get ROI.)
• Is it easy to engage? (What do I do now.)

If your presence is seen and your message is understood, you’re on the shortlist, even in a tough market.

A 7-Day 'De-Jargon' Sprint

Day 1 — Listen first: Collect 20 phrases your buyers actually use (calls, emails, RFPs, comments). Build a “buyer language” doc.

Day 2 — Fix your headline & hero: One pain + one outcome.

Day 3 — Post #1 on social media (Pain → Plain → Proof → Next Step): 120–180 words.

Day 4 — Rewrite a website or sales deck page: Remove 50% of acronyms; replace features with outcomes.

Day 5 — Social proof, simply: One before/after or a 3-line client quote.

Day 6 — Buyer room > peer room: Comment where buyers hang out, in their language.

Day 7 — Mirror check: Ask two clients: “What did you think I did before we worked together?” Close that gap.

Track the phrases buyers mirror back to you. Do more of that.

The Returns of Being Understood

When you’re clear, everything compounds:

• Warmer intros: People can retell your value in their words.
• Shorter sales cycles: Less decoding, fewer calls, quicker yes/no.
• Better hiring: Talent follows leaders they recognise and understand.
• Energy back: Your reputation does some of the heavy lifting.

Peers might prefer precision. Buyers reward clarity they can act on.

Where to Start 

• Identify your “golden thread.” What connects your values, experience, and outcomes? Be known for that.
• Choose one channel and commit. LinkedIn, industry panels, podcasts—pick what fits your voice and show up consistently.
• Use simple scaffolds. Pain → Plain → Proof → Next Step. Repeat.

You’re not changing who you are, you’re making it easier for the right people to see and understand what’s already true.

Your Next Step 

You don’t have to share anything back to get value.

• Take a free mini visibility audit. We’ll privately score your first-impression assets, buyer language, proof, and cadence, and send 2–3 precise changes to make this week.
  Book a mini visibility audit here. 
• Or book a short discovery call. We’ll learn more about you, surface the gaps blocking visibility, and suggest practical ways we can help you make a measurable difference.
  Book a call with us here. 

Clarity isn’t a tone choice. It’s a growth strategy.

Make it effortless to be seen and understood, and you make it effortless to buy from you.