When you are in a certain industry, it’s important to know the jargon — that is, the lingo that is typically used only among people in the industry. It usually establishes a more professional image for your business if you know and use the technical terms for things — whereas if you don’t, or if you use the words incorrectly, your colleagues and potential customers are going to wonder if you really know what you’re doing.

Here is an example. The other day, I saw something on a Washington D C dentist’s website about “Washington DC dental restorations.” I didn’t know what this meant, so I looked it up and found that a dental restoration is nothing more than the filling they put into your tooth when you have a cavity or other damage to a tooth.

Some experts might say that it would have been better for the dentist’s website to use layperson’s language and just say “filling,” but in this case I disagree. You might tell your friend that you’re getting a filling, but do you really want to wonder if your dentist knows the technical term? It would be like having your Washington DC cosmetic dentist refer to your braces as “those metal thingies.” Would you want that dentist working on your mouth? Not me!

Using jargon appropriately means using it in a manner than impresses your potential customers with your knowledge, but doesn’t overwhelm them with stuff they don’t understand. This is, as you might guess, a very delicate balance and may require a professional writer in order to get it just right!

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