You know your stuff… but nobody else does.

(This is how your expertise is sabotaging your influence)

Last week, I gave a short talk at Toastmasters.

Topic was very dear to my heart:

Storytelling.

I explained 5 story elements…

and 5 minutes in, people looked lost.

Later I realized…

I was assuming they already knew everything I was teaching.

BRUTAL TRUTH:

The deeper your knowledge…

the less likely others are to understand you.

Here are 6 Curse-of-Knowledge traps… and how to communicate like a pro:

1/ USING JARGON

↳ Assumes everyone speaks your language

↳ Makes your audience feel lost

↳ Kills engagement instantly

🟢 POWER MOVE: Translate technical terms into plain language

WHY IT WORKS:

→ Everyone follows your idea

→ Clarity makes you come across an expert

→ Positions you as clear, relatable, and persuasive

2/ PACE: Rushing through concepts

↳ You think it’s obvious → they don’t

↳ Brain overload → key points get lost

↳ Audience zones out

🟢 POWER MOVE: Slow down, break ideas into digestible steps

WHY IT WORKS:

→ People absorb more

→ You look thoughtful, not impatient

3/ ABSTRACT CONCEPTS

↳ Ideas float in the air → nobody lands them

↳ Your brilliance seems disconnected

↳ Audience leaves confused

🟢 POWER MOVE: Give concrete examples, stories, analogies

WHY IT WORKS:

→ Concepts stick

→ Easy to visualize ideas

→ People see relevance immediately

4/ SKIPPING STEPS

↳ You skip “obvious” reasoning → others can’t follow

↳ Assumes they’re already convinced → they’re not

↳ Creates gaps in understanding

🟢 POWER MOVE: Walk them through your logic, step by step

WHY IT WORKS:

→ Ideas feel accessible

→ Builds credibility and trust

5/ ASSUMING People Care

↳ You think motivation is obvious → it’s not

↳ Audience resists what feels irrelevant

↳ Ideas are ignored

🟢 POWER MOVE: Explicitly connect ideas to their interests

WHY IT WORKS:

→ People see the “what’s in it for me”

→ Increases buy-in and engagement

6/ Failing to test understanding

↳ Assumes clarity → you never know what stuck

↳ People nod but don’t actually get it

↳ Miscommunication persists

🟢 POWER MOVE: Rehearse with a non-expert and get feedback

WHY IT WORKS:

→ Reveals blind spots

→ Lets you recalibrate before it’s too late

The psychology is RUTHLESS:

Every Curse-of-Knowledge trap trains people to:

→ Tune out your ideas

→ Question your clarity

→ Distrust your guidance

HIDDEN COST?

Brilliant ideas ignored.

Opportunities lost.

Authority silently eroded.

➕ Follow me for more communication strategies

📌 Which Curse-of-Knowledge trap do you see most often in others?