Clear communication is essential in government customer service, and plain language is a key tool for making messages accessible and engaging. By removing jargon and simplifying structure, plain language helps ensure that all audiences can understand and act on information.
We spoke with Julie Clement, Principal and Owner of J Clement Communications, in our most recent CX Community of Practice for tips on applying plain language across different communication channels. Below are a few key takeaways from that session, as well as the recording to view in its entirety.
- What exactly is plain language? Clement said that “all plain language means is short words and short sentences, and it strips all of the technical communication, all the technical information out of documents.” She added that it didn’t mean you were “dumbing down” your wording; it simply means that you’re “giving novices information that they can absorb and understand. It seems counterintuitive, but novices need less information and less detail than experts do.”
- What is a key thought you should keep in mind when it comes to utilizing plain language? Always remember you are writing to and for the readers, Clement said. “You have to force yourself to constantly come back to the reader: who they are, what they want, and what you want them to do.”
- What’s a way that you can determine that your forms or communication isn’t working for users and you need to incorporate plain language? Clement said that in her government role, they’re “constantly revising our documents based on the questions we get from the people who use our forms.” She explained that if they get the same question over and over, even though they may think they wrote clearly, it’s an indicator that they may need to rethink and rephrase something within the document.
