Trap 1: Using Jargon

We've already said elsewhere in this book that using jargon the customer doesn't understand is a bad idea. The problem is that our sensitivity to in-house jargon, that sharp awareness of it that we have as new employees, quickly fades. And that's when jargon becomes dangerous for you as a proposal writer. When you no longer recognize jargon for what it is—the specialized technical language of a particular company, department, industry, or field of experience—you are most likely to misuse it. Salespeople, proposal writers, even marketing professionals almost always overestimate the customer's level of understanding and familiarity with jargon. Seek insight into your customers and their level of understanding, and exercise judgment and common sense in using jargon. If you're looking for a general rule on jargon, here's one: If in doubt, leave it out.

Unfortunately, sometimes you need to use it. So how can you introduce jargon into your proposal text without confusing or alienating the reader? You must focus on the functional meaning of the jargon, not merely its lexical definition. By that I mean it's not enough to simply explain what the letters of an acronym stand for, nor is it enough to define a term's meaning by substituting other jargon in its place. Help your customer understand the term's significance at the outset of your proposal. Then you can use it throughout.