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Hi Reader,

I was going to save this email for Mother’s Day, but I simply couldn’t wait because the message is that important.

First, let me ask: Does your mom know what you do for work? I can tell you unequivocally that my mom did not. When I worked at a data distribution company, she thought I was an accountant. Then she said I worked at a bank—when, in reality, I was a real estate paralegal. And when I worked at a bank—no less than Bank of New York Mellon—she told everyone I was the assistant to the CEO. (In reality, I was a vice president in regulatory compliance.) Even as a writer, she didn’t get it. At one point, she just started telling people I’m a poet. (Bless her merry soul!)

While my mom may have been guilty of willful ignorance, there are times when our moms don’t know what we do because, let’s face it, we probably talk about it in a lot of jargon. A client recently reminded me of this truism while reviewing his website copy. He said, “I want to make sure this website passes The Mom Test. I want my mom to read this and know exactly what my company does.”

This client is a customer experience expert. While that title includes many technical terms, such as “user experience” and “corporate governance,” his work is simple. At the end of the day, customer experience is about how you feel when interacting with a business.

Think of it this way: the customer experience is the difference between how you feel at the Department of Motor Vehicles—often stressful and confusing—and what it’s like to purchase something from Apple—smooth, seamless, and satisfying. It’s about creating positive feelings and ease of use, regardless of the underlying technology or processes.

This distinction helps emphasize that while we may use industry-specific language to explain our work, the core message should be clear and accessible to everyone. The true value of customer experience is how it makes people feel, not the jargon we use to describe it.

The challenge is clear: We need to communicate our work in understandable ways to everyone, not just those in our industry. Jargon can be a barrier, obscuring what we do and making it difficult for others to grasp. So, whether you’re writing website copy, an email, or a proposal, consider asking yourself: Could my mom understand this? If not, it’s time to break it down in simpler terms.

Let’s make sure we’re speaking a language everyone can understand!

Best,

P.S. You know who came up with the Department of Motor Vehicles vs. Apple analogy? My client! It’s now fully embedded in his website copy, making the concept instantly clear and relatable to his audience. This is the magic that happens when you collaborate with me as your copywriter—turning complex ideas into compelling, jargon-free language that resonates.

If you’re interested in learning more about how I can bring your ideas to life in refreshed website copy, hit reply. Let’s chat!