Module 1: Clarity Drills
The foundation of all good copy: simple words, a human voice, zero jargon. Three drills that make clarity your default setting.
Use the simplest words
Most weak copy fails on vocabulary, not ideas. The writer reaches for impressive words — "utilize," "facilitate," "leverage," "comprehensive solution" — and the reader has to translate every sentence before they can feel anything. Every translation costs attention. Most readers will not pay it. They leave.
The drill is brutal and simple: say it the way you would say it to a friend over coffee. "Utilize our comprehensive solution" becomes "use our tool." "Facilitate the onboarding process" becomes "help you get started." Short words are not dumb words — they are fast words, and speed is what keeps a reader moving through your copy instead of bouncing off it.
Here is your first clarity rep, and you will use it forever: after drafting anything, circle every word with three or more syllables and ask, "Is there a shorter word that means the same thing?" Nine times out of ten, there is. Communicate, don't impress. The reader should notice the idea, never the vocabulary.
Side by side
Swap the jargon
| Don't write | Write | |
|---|---|---|
| Word | utilize | use |
| Word | facilitate | help |
| Word | leverage | use |
| Phrase | comprehensive solution | complete answer |
Build brief
Paste a paragraph from your website or a recent email. Circle every word with 3+ syllables and rewrite the paragraph using only simple words.
Saved
Write like you talk
Read your copy out loud. If it sounds like something you would never actually say to a human being, rewrite it until it does. This is the fastest diagnostic in copywriting, and it catches more problems than any checklist.
Conversational copy works because buying is a human interaction, even through a screen. "We are pleased to announce the launch of our new and improved platform" is a press release talking to nobody. "We rebuilt the whole thing — here's what's different" is a person talking to you. Same information. One gets read; the other gets skimmed and forgotten.
The conversational drill: draft your copy, then read it aloud and mark every sentence where you stumble, sound stiff, or hear yourself performing. Those marks are your rewrite targets. Contractions are allowed. Sentence fragments are allowed. Starting sentences with "And" or "But" is allowed. If it sounds human, it reads human — and humans buy from humans.
What keeps readers moving
Build brief
Read your homepage headline out loud. Does it sound like something you'd actually say? Rewrite it until it does.
Saved
The jargon purge
Every industry has its jargon — the insider words that signal you belong. The problem: your customers are outsiders. When your copy says "leverage synergistic solutions to optimize your workflow," a prospect hears noise and moves on to the competitor who said "get more done in less time."
Jargon is also a hiding place. Writers reach for it when they are not sure what they actually mean. "Best-in-class deliverables" hides the fact that you have not decided what you deliver. Forcing plain words forces clear thinking: if you cannot say it simply, you do not understand it well enough to sell it yet.
Run the purge weekly on your key pages. Print the page, grab a highlighter, and mark every word a smart 12-year-old would not understand. Then replace each one with the plain version — or delete the sentence if the plain version reveals there was no real meaning underneath. Jargon impresses insiders and confuses buyers. You are writing for buyers.
Build brief
List 5 jargon words your industry uses constantly. Write the plain-English replacement for each.
Saved
A SaaS homepage says: 'Our comprehensive platform leverages cutting-edge synergies to facilitate optimal workflow outcomes.' What's the highest-leverage fix?
Your turn: Take one product description or service paragraph from your business. Do the full clarity drill: (1) replace every 3+ syllable word, (2) read it aloud and fix the stiff sentences, (3) purge the jargon. Show before and after.
Saved.
Your next 24 hours
Open your website's homepage. Read the first three sentences aloud. Rewrite any sentence you would never say out loud. Publish the improved version today.
Steal this template
THE CLARITY CHECKLIST
Copy being checked: ___
1. Words with 3+ syllables circled and replaced? ☐
2. Read aloud — sounds like me talking? ☐
3. Jargon purged (would a 12-year-old get it)? ☐
4. Every sentence earns its place? ☐
Rewritten version: ___
Module 1 cheat sheet
- Simple words win: circle every 3+ syllable word and find the shorter version.
- Read everything aloud. Stumble = rewrite.
- Conversational means your best talking, not your sloppiest.
- Jargon confuses buyers and hides fuzzy thinking — purge it weekly.
- Communicate, don't impress. The reader should notice the idea, never the words.
- If a 12-year-old wouldn't get it, your buyer won't either.