How to fight the curse of knowledge in your marketing

We talk often with clients about cutting through the weeds of their industry knowledge so that they can better communicate with their audience. It’s easy to believe that only executives and CEOs face this challenge. But in reality, that’s not the case. We all deal with “the curse of knowledge” on some level.

For example – when you go to college or move away from home for the first time, it can be a shock to realize just how different your hometown is from other places in the world. In other words, you have knowledge and experiences that are different from most everyone around you – and vice versa. Being aware of your unique perspectives is so important because a lack of awareness can create real conflict and confusion with those around you.

You may not be the most knowledgeable person in your field or discipline, but you are in that field nevertheless. And that means that there are certain experiences and perspectives you have that others don’t, no matter if you’re a “true expert” or not. 

This may not seem like a big deal at face value. You may be asking, “So what? Of course I know more about my industry than my clients. Do they really need to understand what I’m doing in order to work with me?” 
We would answer that question with a resounding yes. The point isn’t to make our clients experts like us, but to communicate so well that they don’t have to be experts to understand what we do.

Every message that you send out to your clients should position the customer as the main character in the story and you as their guide. A good guide will take the time to communicate with patience and clarity, because the story isn’t about them or their knowledge – it’s about the hero!
The point is that we all have different perspectives and life experiences that set us apart from one another. And if we’re to communicate well, we have to be aware enough of these things to work past them.

The good news is that if you know you have the curse of knowledge (which, reminder – you definitely do) you can work past it. 

Here are 3 ways to break away from the curse of knowledge when you communicate with clients: 

1. Get an outside perspective 

   Grab a friend or family member and see how well they understand you when you talk about the service you or your company offers. If their eyes glaze over, they have 1 million questions or they’re too confused to even ask questions…that’s a clear sign that you’ve got to let go of some of your professional jargon. Work through conversations with this friend until they actually understand what you’re saying. 

2. Start from the beginning

   Think back to your earliest days in this career. What sources did you have to use to become well educated? Return to those sources often and remind yourself of the most foundational parts of what you do. 

3. Enlist help

   Being so close to your message all the time can be exhausting. It’s hard to break out of your regular ways of thinking about your work, opinions, and habits. If you’re especially struggling with the curse of knowledge as you try to communicate with your audience, work with someone who knows how to cut through the confusion and create a clear message. At Murphy Marketing, we spend our time doing just that! We love to learn about the complicated parts of your message and use our fresh perspective to tell your company’s story better than it’s ever been told.

Book a call today to learn more about how we can work together to bring clarity to your message!