A few months ago, I was in a client meeting and midway through the presentation, I saw it in my clients’ eyes.

The deer in the headlights look.

It wasn’t the look of fear or panic - it was the look of being lost and having no clue what I was talking about.

Think of the last time one of your clients gave you the 'deer in the headlights' look. Were you trying to explain a concept, and it was going over their head?

It’s easy to overcomplicate content, especially if you’re in a more technical space, like IT or engineering or systems.

This happens with sales presentations, blog articles, marketing videos, all types of content.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “KISS,” which stands for, "KISS means Keep It Simple, Stupid." Of course, that's not a kind way of saying it, so I prefer the saying "Keep your content simple."

Keep your content simple.

This doesn't mean you 'dumb down' your content. It means communicating your concept in a way that a twelve-year-old can understand it. Why a twelve-year-old?

Because the preferred reading level of an average c-suite executive is sixth-grade reading comprehension, or that of a twelve-year-old.

If it's simple enough to catch an executive’s attention, your clients will love it. Most importantly, it will be clear enough for your client to understand the first time.

Think about one way you can make your content simpler today so your audience understands it the first time.

The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing is presented by Jon Cook, founder of Keynote Content. Jon and his team help thought leaders, namely speakers, coaches, and consultants, craft and share their messages to better serve their audiences. Connect with Jon and his team at Keynote Content by visiting keynotecontent.com. You can subscribe to The Keynote Clarity for Thought Leaders Flash Briefing by visiting bit.ly/KeynoteClarity and enabling it there. Then, all you have to say is, “Alexa, what’s my flash briefing?”