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The team at New Harbor often hears me reference the great David Ogilvy’s ten classic rules for writing, which I have shared with everyone who has ever worked here.
All ten rules are right on point, but Ogilvy’s full-frontal assault on legalese and jargon in Rule No. 4 may be my favorite:
“Never use jargon words like reconceptualize, demassification, attitudinally, judgmentally. They are the hallmarks of a pretentious ass.”
And not just that – language like this will probably lead the reader (or listener) to conclude “Yeah, they’re not talking to me.” And you’ve lost them.
Jargon and legalese can be deadly when communicating with neighbors, and other interested parties, about new projects – large and small – in the community. These days, folks can quickly default to the “NIMBY No” when presented with something new. Communications focused on merely checking the box, instead of answering the questions an actual human being might have, pushes them away further.
We’ve had success over the years with controversial projects, winning some tough ones along the way. A key part of our approach is a basic Q&A where we follow Ogilvy’s third rule: “Use short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs.”
A good example is the Q&A we’ve put together for the Massachusetts Coastal Railroad on Cape Cod, currently confronted with an ill-advised, starry-eyed campaign to pull up the tracks in Falmouth and Bourne to make way for a bike path. (Narrator: We can have both…). You can read it here.
As an attorney, I can throw around a little Latin with the best of them – most of it from my days as an altar boy at St. Greg’s in Warwick (but who’s asking). Bottom line – whether it’s communicating with neighbors about new projects, or just human beings in general, Ogilvy’s rules are a good guide, starting with Rule No. 1: “Write the way you talk. Naturally.”
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