How to explain anything so people actually get it.
Ever explained something you thought was clear — and got blank stares back? That's not a knowledge problem. That's a translation problem.
The human brain isn't wired for facts and features. It's wired for images and stories. The moment you use a term your audience doesn't already own, you've lost them — not because they're not smart, but because their brain chose the path of least resistance and tuned out.
The best communicators — Steve Jobs, Warren Buffett — don't just explain things. They translate them. They take the unfamiliar and make it feel like something the listener already understands. That's a learnable skill, and it comes down to three moves.
Step 1: Catch complexity in real time
The biggest mistake experts make is assuming their audience shares their vocabulary. They don't. Every time you use an industry term or a concept that might not land, your listener has to spend energy translating — and most won't bother.
The fix is simple: the moment you say something technical, add "which basically means…" and follow it with a plain-English version. Train yourself to notice the gap between what you know and what they know — and bridge it in real time.
Before and after:
Confusing: "We use AI-powered predictive analytics to optimize pipeline health."
Clear: "We use AI to scan your deals and flag which ones are at risk — kind of like a weather forecast, but for your sales pipeline."
Step 2: Use metaphors and analogies to paint a picture
People don't think in abstractions. They think in images. When you give someone a strong visual comparison, you bypass the translation layer entirely — they just get it.
The formula is almost embarrassingly simple: "Think of it like ______." That's it. The blank is what you fill with something they already understand.
Steve Jobs didn't say "iCloud provides distributed cloud storage with cross-device synchronization." He said "it's like a digital locker for your files." One sentence. Instant clarity.
"When you make the unfamiliar feel familiar, you unlock instant clarity. That's the whole game."
Step 3: Translate big numbers into everyday life
"We save clients 2,000 hours a year." Okay — but what does that actually feel like? Numbers without context don't land. The brain has no frame of reference for "2,000 hours" — it's just a large, abstract number.
The fix: "That's like ______." Translate the number into something human and visceral. "2,000 hours — that's like giving your team an extra month of vacation every year." Now it's real. Now they feel it.
Every stat, every claim, every metric in your pitch deserves this treatment. If it's a number and you haven't given them a comparison, you haven't made your case yet.
The test
Before any pitch, presentation, or page on your website — run it through one question: would a sixth grader understand what you do and why it matters?
If not, it's not ready. Confused people don't buy. They nod politely and move on. Clarity is the thing that keeps them in the room — and makes the yes feel obvious.