Exclusive Executive Brief - January 2026 - The Power of Clear Communication In Your Marketing -

Say It So They Get It: The Power of Clear Communication In Your Marketing

Most businesses don’t lose opportunities because of a lack of trying to get the word out about their business. They lose business because potential customers don’t quite understand what makes them different or even what they do at a glance.

You can have the best service, the best food, or the best team in town, but if people can’t clearly explain what you do, they won’t remember you or be able to refer to you.

When you’ve been running your business for years, you start to speak your own language. You describe things the way you understand them, not the way your customers need to hear them.

Sometimes your own team members describe what you do in completely different ways. That’s a sure sign that your business could benefit from a little clarity work.

The good news is that it’s fixable. And once you do, everything else you say or write becomes more effective.

Why Clarity Wins

Clear communication isn’t about sounding clever or creative. It’s about helping people instantly understand what you do and why it matters to them.

When your explanation is simple, people remember it. They can repeat it. And they feel more confident choosing you.

Whether you’re a restaurant describing your specialty, a doctor explaining your approach, a realtor describing your niche, or a local service business explaining your value, clarity helps people decide faster and trust more deeply.

Here’s a simple way to check how clearly you’re communicating right now.

Step 1: Write it down

Start with this simple sentence:

We help [type of person or customer] [solve this problem or meet this need] so they can [get this result or benefit].

Examples:

1)We help busy families enjoy fresh, made-from-scratch meals without the mess and hassle of cooking at home.

2)We help first-time homebuyers find homes they love with less stress.

3)We help patients take control of their health with clear guidance and customized personal plans.

The goal isn’t to sound impressive. It is to make sense immediately.

Step 2: The 12-year-old test

This is one of my favorite ways to test clarity. If a 12-year-old can understand what you do, almost anyone can. Children don’t have industry context or patience for long explanations. They either get it or they don’t, and that’s exactly the feedback your message needs.

Here’s why that matters, our brains like to conserve energy for what it considers to be important. We are constantly bombarded with information so we don’t want people to have to think to understand how your service helps them.

If you have a child, niece, or neighbor nearby, try this: read them your one-sentence explanation and ask, “Can you tell me what my business does?” If they hesitate, ask questions, or use different words to describe it, it’s a sign to simplify your message until they can repeat it back easily.

No 12-year-old nearby? Try this version with AI Prompt:

PROMPT: Explain this statement as if you’re a 12-year-old. Tell me what you think this business does and who it helps. If anything sounds confusing or could have multiple meanings, point those out specifically. (Then paste your one-sentence description underneath.)

Play around with the response and your sentence until you are confident that it is clear.

Step 3: The real life test

Use your new sentence the next time someone asks, “So, what do you do?” It could be at a networking event, in a casual conversation, or even while chatting with a trusted friend who isn’t in your industry. Pay attention to their reaction. Do they nod with understanding? Ask a follow-up question that shows curiosity? Or do they look puzzled and change the subject?

If people immediately get it and want to know more, you’ve found a clear way to communicate what you do. If not, keep adjusting until their response lets you know they understand.

Step 4: Use it everywhere

Once your clear sentence is ready, make it visible and consistent.

On your website or menu. In your social bios or email signature. In how you or your team introduce the business. The more consistently people hear it, the faster they’ll remember it.

When people instantly understand how you help, they remember you, trust you, and tell others. That’s the power of clarity.

We would like to thank contributing author,

Amy Appleton and founder of Apple Tree Marketing for writing this article.

To me, being a thought leader isn’t just about knowing your field inside and out, it’s about being able to think strategically and communicate in a way your clients can actually use.

Over the years, we’ve continued to work on ways our team can be a thought leader to the businesses we serve. In the latest reflection on Blazej Accounting’s Road to 20, I go over why this matters and some of the ways we do this for our clients.

How to be a Thought Leader for our Clients

Cheryl Blazej