We’re extremely fortunate to get to work with brilliant people—recognized thought leaders in their fields, people who take on extraordinarily complex challenges with mindboggling intelligence and insight.
But all that brainpower can sometimes be a burden. Bright people with deep expertise often struggle to communicate with the level of simplicity that sticks in the mind and wins in the marketplace.
That’s when it’s smart to be the dumbest person in the room.
As the old C.W. Ceram quote goes, “Genius is the ability to reduce the complicated to the simple.”
Because you need to break down what you’re offering into the simplest terms and appeal to an essential human benefit. Make that so blindingly clear we can’t help but understand it.
How do you do that? Try the OK, So Game, otherwise known as the Toddler Game. Start by listing a feature of your product. Then ask, “OK, so why is that there?”. Repeat the process until you get to a benefit so clean and clear, no one could possibly ask “OK, So?” anymore.
Except a toddler. They never stop. Here’s a real example of the game for a new flexible bandage made with a proprietary polyvinyl material with multi-dimensional elasticity.
Feature: It’s flexible.
OK, So? It moves with you
OK, So? It won’t come off as you move your body
OK, So? You can move around your hospital room
OK, So? When people come to visit you, you can give them a hug
That’s so simple, clear, and impactful that anyone can understand the appeal.
Want help simplifying your message into something clear and concise? We’d love to help.
