August 21, 2009 76 Comments

Not Rocket Science

Here’s something I hear all the time with regard to my work, especially my writing: “It’s not rocket science.” Here’s my reply: nothing is. We simply pretend it is to feel important.

Business communication is all about this. People write things all the time in such a way as to make them seem more important. Well, I’m sorry, but I have to call bullshit on that practice.

We’re human. Talk with us like we’re human. Eschew obfuscation. (get it?)

Business value is not in big words. It’s in big understanding. We confuse this all the time. We forget that we’re not writing for ourselves (unless we are), but instead, we’re writing to be understood.

I am not in the rocket science business. I’m in the business of achieving success for myself, my clients, and my army. Every insight I attempt to equip you with on this site comes from the extrapolation of what it can do in your hands.

I’ll leave rocket science to NASA.

Photo credit, the EVER amazing Steve Jurvetson

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http://ubiquitense.com/ NarenUBi

True, it's not rocket science! But one needs to build a 'personal brand' (aka credibility) around him/her to prove that this is NOT rocket science. There are zillions of bloggers out there that write a lot, some original, some paraphrase – but not all of them get to that stage when they can claim that this is not rocket science.

Yep, it takes a lot of effort..
http://donaldlafferty.com/about Don Lafferty

I couldn't concur more vigorously, Christopher. As Father Gabriel used to tell us every Friday morning at the conclusion of English Lit class, “Have a salubrious weekend.”
http://www.honeybeeconsulting.com startabuzz

In an effort to keep lofty-sounding, over-indulgent, over-the-top verbal gobbledeygook out of this, I'll simply say, “Yah.”

And you need to have a caption contest for that picture.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go eschew on my breakfast. :)
http://twitter.com/DeweyC DeweyC

Its gotta be pretty tough for the rocket scientist/blogger out there, what does that guy say? lol Chris thanks for the post I totally agree with you, great post!
http://biggsuccess.com georgekrueger

“Business value is not in big words. It’s in big understanding.”

Brilliant! I love these two sentences. Better yet, I understand them! :-)
thursdayb

Not even rocket science is rocket science! I used to work for a company where we actually built rockets and there were plenty of cracks about rocket science, but the grand majority of our work was engineering — we had to spend our time working from well-established blue prints.

Even building rockets is a question of building value and understanding for customers.
Pingback: Chris Brogan re-written | GerardMcLean.com
gerardmclean

I disagree that all of this is NOT rocket science, but that is a long and complicated argument we can have another day. In the meantime, Chris Brogan simplified even further. :-) http://gerardmclean.com/chris-brogan-re-written…
RubenRicart

Great post Chris!
I've seen this time and time again (in writing & at the office) and IMHO it just makes people come off as uptight and not approachable….somewhat of a turn off. I can say from personal experience that being a bit more relaxed in writing and networking can make a difference – perfect example was the CEO of the last company I worked for – she was very professional and direct, however, her approach was to us not at us and her personality in writing and while conversing with her inspired you to listen…
http://twitter.com/bjwdantz Bev Dantz

Thank you. Perfect timing for such a post. How did you know?
michaelmartino

Chris you are a right “Business value is not in big words”. Do you have any suggestions for people who try and tell the big wigs not to communicate in such a non human way? Long, confusing, big word laced communications are a way of life in my company. They keep writing them that way, hoping the next one, will be the one that makes everyone understand what the hell they are talking about.
armandoalves

Actually rocket science is more predictable and you can even find enough blueprints on the web to launch a rocket. As for social web, not so much: it's about peoples, one of the most complex (not complicated) subjects of study for science. And once it involves millions of interactions in becomes even more unpredictable.

Aren't we all learning as we go? If that's true, than building rockets would be a more predictable option.
http://www.thinklikeablackbelt.com/ Lori Hoeck

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug.” – Mark Twain.
That's a lot of difference. No it's not rocket science, it's something far more subtle, complex, and human.
fredglick

Dude,

Can't agree with you more.

I especially can't stand real estate people that continually paint a rosey picture of the market when in fact, the market is not.

Not only talk like a person but think like a person and base your business on reality in order to survive.

The business acumen of there is another sucker coming is just wrong and unseemly.

To all the salespeople that think this way: Go away and flip burger!
whitneyhoffman

It's never in the big words- it's in the clarity of the meaning and content, and that's why Chris succeeds so well with blogging. He makes things clear, simple and actionable.

As a lawyer and someone regularly accused of having a large vocabulary, I can tell you it's never about the SAT words- it's about nuance, about clarity, and often translating the complex into the simple, but not elementary, so people understand what they are doing or signing. It doesn't have to be complex- it does have to be clear.
remarkablogger

Great point, and it illustrates something else, something conspicuous in its absence (and by saying that I don't mean that its absence here is a failure or oversight): most worthy endeavors are never “all science.”

There is science, and there is art. Art is not a reproducible formula, but it's vital. Because without the art of human communication, formulas are all you have.
http://twitter.com/billhanifin Bill Hanifin

Hey Chris, We've got so much jargon in the business world and especially in our Loyalty Marketing corner of the world. Everytime someone tells me that they just “jumped the shark”, I ask them what they are talking about? Similar to insisting on ordering a “large” at Starbucks!

The best story I heard was from a Microsoft guy who told an audience that he was working on a “TLA” project. When he asked if anyone knew what this was, a few hands went hesitantly into the air. The speaker exposed these fakers by saying that this stood for “Three Letter Acronym” and went on to make fun of how many of these exists in technology and business.

I agree with you. Speak clearly, Say what you mean and mean what you say.

Bill
http://www.facebook.com/AlbertMaruggi Albert Maruggi

I must share this with you, a couple of years ago NPR did a piece on this phrase It's not rocket science. They asked rocket scientists what do they say when confronted with a difficult with a seemingly simple issue to compare with a complex one.

The overwhelming answer was nuclear physics – so rocket scientists say “It's not nuclear physics.” I wonder if nuclear physicists say it's not rocket science? Hmmm.
http://www.beyondbreakthroughs.com coachpalmer

Thanks for reminding me of this Chris. Keeping it simple usually works best for getting my message across and takes a lot less time.

Michael Palmer, Life Coach
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Of the many reasons I love you, it's anecdotes like these that make it easiest to point out to other people why.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

My Dad loves talking about TLAs. That used to be a common joke in our household, being that we're all computer nerds. : )
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I *love* this. Thanks, Lori for the quote and the thought.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

I appreciate you for a thousand reasons. This one is #441.
http://twitter.com/SueOnTheWeb Sue

Thanks for expressing what I've been thinking for a long time. Big fancy words, don't make big ideas!
http://www.vsellis.com/ Scott Ellis

It's also important to recognize that when people say “It's not rocket science” what they seemingly imply is that it's not that hard and “I could do it too.” And in many cases, yes you could, yet most will never tack action. Frankly, execution is where the rubber meets the road. Whether or not something is “rocket science” is of little consequence if no action is taken and those so happy to throw that phrase around come across as little more than critics adding little if any value to the conversation.

I'd also like to add that when someone masters something they frequently also master the art of making it look easier than it is.

Chris I applaud your plain (i.e. human) speak but you're not fooling most of us, you have mastered an art and we know it despite your humble nature.
lauranathan

Amen. Sometimes I find that the people who have the hardest time grasping this are clients (one in particular comes to mind) who don't realize that they'd reach more people if they'd ditch the jargon that is meaningless to people outside of the organization.
http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

It's ironic to me that a discipline like digital communications (social media, whatever) that is so focused on authentic, “real” conversation between brands and fans also relies really heavily on buzzwords and positioning oneself as a 'guru' or an 'expert'.

I'm with you. It's just talking.
http://bashfoo.org delta40

Clear insight Chris!
The successful companies today project confident and clear communications for all to understand. When HubSpot graded my blog site with a Baccalaureate degree level of comprehension, I immediately knew I had to act. Folks who know me understand that my words provide the color and texture to my conversational style. Sort of like when you go to an interview, you want to dress one level above the position you want to hold, when you blog, you want to write one level below your intended audience.
With that logic, if you are selling rocket ship parts, you probably want to use words that the junior NASA engineers will understand.
http://twitter.com/ARIZECC ARIZE Coaching

Thank you for sharing! So many times we get confused between feeding the intellects of the world, who can care less, or feeding the masses that are starving for information they can consume and immediately apply. This was a great reminder to me. Thank you.
http://www.davidaigner.com davidaigner

I'd like to see them attempt to do what you do. To organize topics in a more social form and manner in order to expand business and even individual worth and success the way you do is a difficult study on its own. Also, I agree with @armandoalves, that the subject of “people” is a complicated study. We do learn as we go.
http://twitter.com/freedomlance Bethany Harris

I couldn't agree more! Communicating without using jargon takes the exchange to another level of sincerity. Don't have to be rocket scientist to know the difference. Great post Chris!
http://twitter.com/brynajones Bryna

You're right. It's not rocket science. But I still love my big words. I think sometimes I write more for myself than for others. It's compulsive :) Good post.
http://www.mikebilleter.com mikebilleter

In the most basic sense, I look at it this way: Who would you rather hang out with…some elitist professor or CEO who talks to you like he or she is looking down his or her nose at you, or your friends who you can have a conversation with?

If you're like me, it's your friends you can have a conversation with. Working with clients should be no different. You may not want your clients to “hang out” with you on a daily basis, but if the option is a legitimately conversational tone vs. a “talk down my nose at you” tone, which one will leave your client with a better taste in their mouths or a better feeling in their stomachs? Nobody walks into a meeting thinking, “I hope these guys make me feel/look like an idiot.” Whether it's a meeting, a conference call, or simply a blog post, connecting and creating conversation rather than dominating conversation should be the focus.

Good thoughts, Chris.
Charlottehrb

I love this post for so many reasons! I often feel like if I don't use big words I'm seen as unintelligent, but for me, that's the best way to get my point across in a way I know I'm going to be understood by everyone. Writing is much more about thoughts, feelings, opinions and emotions than big words.
MoxieWorks

I often think “anyone can do this” it isn't rocket science, but a good friend pointed out that to someone who doesn't “do marketing” it is. It is a field that they aren't familiar with. They are experts at what they do and what they are paying us to do is to do our own particular brand of magic.

So, it may not be hard for us, but it does have a certain spark of magic to those who aren't in the business and that is what we bring to the table.
charlottehrb

A quick follow up.

This post by Amber Naslund fits right in here from a marketing perspective. You need to write and talk the same way you would write and talk to your friends because after all, you are talking to people you are building relationships and friendships with. You're spreading your message in a conversational and friendly way. Amber also includes some great examples:

http://altitudebranding.com/2009/08/talk-like-w…
janschwartz4

Eschew obfuscation–the last real words I spoke to my last boss. He didn't get it.
http://twitter.com/Nat_Mich NatMich

Haha, that's funny. There's another quote about obscurity that I really like:

“Whoever knows he is deep, strives for clarity; whoever would like to appear deep to the crowd, strives for obscurity.”

-Friedrich Nietzsche
beckymccray

Back when my husband did welding, people would bring things in for repair, and say:

“I could do it myself, but I just don't have time.”

They wanted to seem like they had the necessary skills and equipment, whether they did or not. These are the same folks who would say:

“It will only take you 5 minutes.”

In both cases, they were trying to play down the value of Joe's time and skills. These are the same type of people who tell you that what you do is not rocket science. They could do it themselves in five minutes, if only they knew how and had the setup to get it done. But they don't.

And that is where the skilled craftsman comes in.
Elizabeth_H

You know it's funny, no matter how long we've been in business; we've been a human longer. However, for some odd reason, once we've been trained in something, we have to relearn how to be human again, how to communicate in normal “human” language everything we've been trained to do. Some people never learn this and typically, they don't do very well, but those who do flourish.
http://www.somedaysyndrome.com/ Alex Fayle | Someday Syndrome

That's how I approach my coaching – it's not a difficult system or strangely labeled actions, categories and thought processes.

It's simple concepts and simple actions.

Nothing more.
http://www.mojo2go.us/ Judy | mojo2Go

In reading the opening of Mr. B's post, I get the impression that this is really a question of choice:

“Here’s something I hear all the time with regard to my work, especially my writing: “It’s not rocket science”. It's the; ESPECIALLY MY WRITING part that jumps out.

Chris', Julien's, Mark Twain's, yours and my CHOICE in words or phrase-ology speaks to a certain audience. The DELIVERY of these words; the PRESENTATION of the speaker/writer, their age, gender, etc are all factors – people consider you a TRUST AGENT in a particular field or they don't. Why do some people have 82k followers on twitter and others are barely breaking 100? Choice! It's the audience's choice! Does what you say matter to me? And do I enjoy/appreciate the way you say it? (No different than why our customers choose us.)

Why is it that we select a car. It's not just price, but the model, the year, the color and historical performance are factors. These things matter. Assuming all cars start, stop and drive, that's where the comparison ends. So too does the manner by which the author of this post writes, compared to his contemporaries.

Chris, your approach in writings, and other messaging medium speaks to a large audience right now. No pretense or fluff, straight and free of the bullsh*t. This audience enjoys a read where a dictionary and thesaurus aren't required, at least with few exceptions.

So for me it's choice! I choose to read and listen to Chris Brogan's stuff, for as long as it speaks to me and has value – I'm not good with the whole rocket thing ;)
http://twitter.com/carolharnett Carol Harnett

Amen! I couldn't agree more.

Write to be understood, not to impress.

Well said.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Now that's interesting. That's quite a way to see it. I was looking at the fact that I agree. You point out that it's also a weapon.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Small words pass through our brains faster and get absorbed into our language faster. Big words take digestion.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

You're right that it's tricky, and yet, it's human. I dunno. I just want to rework all the barnacles we've added to our hulls.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Guru. God that word grates me the way Air Supply grates me.
http://chrisbrogan.com Chris Brogan

Well, thank you. I understand your point.

Jordan just throws a basketball.

I'm NOT comparing myself, but that makes sense.
http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

All those words are ways for those doing the describing to distance themself from the work involved.

It becomes the magical internet faeries doing their magical internets stuff, and nobody else is hip enough to understand whats going on.
http://www.jeremymeyers.com/ Jeremy Meyers

It's more like, we've been taught that business-speak is the opposite of human-speak, through 70 years of advertising taglines and customer service gobbledygook. All this authentic communication social media stuff isn't new, its old old old, but counter to what has been ingrained to 'make sense'

Not Rocket Science

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