There are many out there who like to dazzle with big words and pretentious sentences.  They are enclosed in lack of confidence, needing to feel bigger by using big words or complex sentence structure.  Marketing needs to be simple -- a desire to transmit information and persuade¾not to impress. 

So, when you are writing a marketing message or talking to a customer, remember the following story, by FF Colton in Scientific Monthly, 1949. 

A New York plumber of foreign extraction with a limited command of English wrote the National Bureau of Standards and said he found that hydrochloric acid quickly opened drainage pipes when they got clogged, and asked if it was a good thing to use. 

A Bureau Scientist replied:

“The efficacy of hydrochloric acid is indisputable but the corrosive residue is incompatible with metallic permanence.” 

The plumber wrote back thanking the Bureau for telling him the method was all right.  The scientist was a little disturbed and showed the correspondence to his boss, another scientist.  The latter wrote to the plumber:

“We cannot assume responsibility for the production of toxic and noxious residue with hydrochloric acid and suggest you use an alternate procedure.”  

The plumber wrote back that he agreed with the Bureau¾hydrochloric acid works fine.  A top scientist¾boss of the first two¾broke the impasse by tearing himself loose from the technical terminology and writing this letter:

 “Don’t use hydrochloric acid.  It eats hell out of the pipes.” 

When you’re trying to persuade someone of anything¾taking out the garbage, going out with you, taking a  vacation, stacking the hay, buying your product¾ remember it’s not about you and your ego, it’s about them and their ego.  The simpler you make it, the more likely they are to HEAR you!  Remember the plumber and hydrochloric acid.