One of the great things about our business is that we get to work with some of the smartest minds in accounting, wealth management and estate planning. But all too often the “curse of knowledge” trips them up when they’re writing, presenting or being interviewed. Having encyclopedic knowledge of your subject area has many benefits – but sometimes briefer is better, and you don’t have to overwhelm your audience with every single thing you know about the tax code or investing or estate planning.
I’m not suggesting you dumb things down or distill everything into 140 characters. But sometimes it’s better just to give your audience a small sampling of what you know, rather than overwhelming them with a firehose of information.
Many of you work in highly technical areas. One of the best ways I’ve found to get your point across quickly without dumbing it down is to use two of the most powerful word in credibility marketing: “For example.”
“For example” is a powerful communication tool because it acts as a bridge between abstract ideas and real-world experiences your audience can relate to.
Early in high school, I remember a young math teacher who seemed hell-bent on putting a room full of freshman smart alecs in their place. When it came to Pythagorean theorem, he went into a lengthy discourse about Euclidian geometry, the evolution of the hypotenuse, with all kinds of convoluted lines and squiggles on the blackboard. Like most of my classmates, I was baffled and bombed the first quiz.
Fortunately, I took advantage of an after-school tutor. Within five minutes she explained, Pythagorean theorem explains the relationship of the two shorter sides of a right triangle, to the longer hypotenuse (a2 + b2 = c2). For example, in a right triangle, she said if the two shorter perpendicular sides are 3 feet and 4 feet, then the longer hypotenuse must be the square root of 3 feet and 4 feet. [32 = (9 feet) + 42 = (16 feet) = 25 feet]. So, the square root of 25 feet is 5 feet. I could visualize the triangle’s shape and could certainly relate to measurements in feet.
Here are some other reasons why “for example” is so effective in getting your points across quickly and effectively:
- Clarifies Complex Ideas. When introducing abstract concepts, using “for example” breaks down the thought process into easily digestible chunks. The example acts as a mental shortcut for processing complex ideas.
Example: Explaining “opportunity cost” in economics might be abstract for some, but if you explain it with an example like choosing between buying a new car or going on vacation, it’s much easier for people to grasp.
- Engages the Audience. Instead of simply stating “Effective leadership requires trust,” showing how a successful leader (for example, Oprah or Steve Jobs) gained the trust of their teams makes the idea more compelling.
- Builds Credibility. Using examples shows that you have a deep understanding of a complex topic, say tariffs, can apply your knowledge in practical situations. It lends authenticity to your message.Example: Citing a historical example, like how the U.S. handled tariffs in the past (1930 Smoot-Hawley Act; 1980s US-Japan Steel Wars) helps reinforce the validity of your argument and shows that your ideas are grounded in reality.
- Makes Arguments More Persuasive. Why it’s powerful: By demonstrating a point with a specific example, you provide evidence that backs up your argument. This can make your claims more persuasive and difficult to dismiss.
Example: If you’re arguing that a remote work policy boosts productivity, you could use an example of a company like Microsoft that has reported increased productivity from remote work initiatives.
- Fosters Better Understanding. Why it’s powerful: People remember and understand concrete examples much better than abstract theories.Example: Instead of saying “Investing early is crucial,” showing how someone who starts investing at age 22 versus age 42 has a significantly larger return due to compounding interest can make the idea more impactful.
- Encourages Action or Reflection. When your reader/listener/client sees how an idea applies to a real-world scenario, they’re more likely to think about how they can apply it in their own lives or work.
Example: If you’re discussing the importance of time management, providing an example of a successful person’s time-blocking routine might inspire someone to adopt similar habits.
*** Here are more tips for using “For example” effectively
Real world example
As investors and their accountants were grinding through tax season earlier this year, a well-known financial services company published an investor brief touting the benefits of tax-loss harvesting.
Here’s an excerpt:
“Tax-loss harvesting is a tried-and-true strategy for lowering taxes and potentially helping increase after-tax returns. When you tax-loss harvest, you’ll pay taxes on your realized capital gains for the year, meaning you’ll only consider your net gains—the amount you gained minus any investment losses you realized. Learning how to harvest tax losses is key to helping put your money to work. If you have realized capital gains, you can offset them by selling securities from one of your taxable accounts at a loss and reinvesting the money in a similar investment or rebalancing, if needed. When reinvesting the funds, it’s important to be aware of the IRS wash-sale rule.”
Yawn!
Finally, about 14 paragraphs into the guide, the had the courtesy to give us the first “For example”:
For example: Let’s say you sell Investment A at a loss of $30,000, but later in the year you sell Investment B for a $25,000 gain. Your losses from Investment A would offset your entire gain from Investment B. That means you won’t pay capital gains taxes on the $25K gain from Investment B —and you’ll have $5,000 in losses left over. Under current tax rules, you can use up to $3,000 of that loss to offset your ordinary income, and you’d be able to use the remaining $2,000 to offset gains or income in future tax years.
Great example, but I bet most clients didn’t make it that far. Introduce “for example” early and often into your client meetings, presentations, blog posts and collateral materials. Your readers, stakeholders, staff and followers will thank you and share you.
Conclusion
As humanitarian Albert Schweitzer famously said: “Example is not the main thing in influencing others, it is the only thing.” Tell me how your firm is simplifying complex topics for your staff, clients and followers. I’d love to hear more.