Explain it to me like I’m 5: Five secrets to simple communication

When I was a reporter, I often found myself smiling and nodding my head while secretly wondering what in the world some of my sources were talking about. Covering education and politics can have that kind of an effect on a person. I am certain if you all think about it long enough, you will come up with a time (or several times) this has happened in your lives. You struck up a lovely conversation with another person, only to find they began talking about a subject you know nothing about. To make matters worse, they used jargon specific to the topic, which further confused matters. No matter how educated you think you are on a subject, there always is someone who knows more.

Any time I found myself struggling to understand what a source was conveying I would ask them to explain it to me like I’m 5. It was my way of indicating that while they may be an expert in their field, neither myself nor the people reading the article were as well educated on the matter. Using simple words to break down complex ideas was going to be necessary for me and for my readers. It was a method that served me well throughout my reporting career.

Flash-forward to today and this method is everywhere. If you regularly visit social media and other online platforms, you have likely encountered the “explain it to me like I’m 5” phenomenon. Sometimes it is simply conveyed with the alphabet soup ELI5. Sometimes people use it as a sort of underhanded insult to suggest another person is out of their element and should leave the conversation. Other times, they are genuine in their request to have a topic explained in simpler terms so they can grasp another person’s view on a topic or issue. When an ELI5 suggestion is made online, how well it is received depends on the parties involved in the exchange.

It is an unfortunate possibility that the listener to whom the information is being conveyed will feel the communicator is insulting their intelligence by “dumbing it down” for them. The communicator also might feel slighted if they are asked to explain something in a way that they feel does not showcase their knowledge of the subject. A third possibility is that both parties will agree ELI5 is a great idea, and an amazing exchange of information will occur.
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To help increase your odds of achieving that third outcome, here are five secrets to simple communication anyone can use. Whether you are having a face-to-face conversation, giving a lecture, or writing a blog post about a topic, the ELI5 technique works well when you incorporate some (or all) of these strategies. 

 

1. Identify your audience
   This is a trick of the trade that all good communicators understand. Before you can effectively explain a complex topic, you must first know to whom you will be speaking. Let’s say you are an aeronautical engineer with NASA who will be giving a career day presentation to local high school students. Instead of using technical terms to explain how you do your job, find a way to relate it to the level of science the students have studied in class. Not only will you be ensuring they understand the material, but you also will be connecting with your audience in a way they will find engaging and memorable.  
2. Adopt everyday language
   Some people just cannot help themselves. They simply must use what I like to call $25 words. Well-educated individuals – and those in certain professions – believe doing so conveys their extensive knowledge of the subject material and their intelligence. All it really does is disconnect you from the audience when you speak in terms they do not understand. Avoiding acronyms, niched phrases, and any other industry jargon is your best bet for getting your point across. Using simpler versions of words to ensure understanding does not lessen your intelligence. If anything, it does the exact opposite. People who can take complex ideas and put them into language others can understand are highly intelligent. It takes skill to ELI5, especially when dealing with super complicated topics.
3. Use visuals
   There is a reason that young children prefer picture books when they are first learning to read. Visuals help convey meaning and messaging and can be used to complement your words. Well-crafted diagrams, infographics, and videos are an excellent way to break down big ideas for your audience. There are five keys to creating effective visuals that enhance your verbal communications.
   
   Narrow down the information. Too many details confuse the audience and make for a          jumbled visual representation. Identify which information is most crucial to your topic.
   
   Provide backup. Backup information, that is. Both qualitative and quantitative data are crucial when constructing visual communications. The data should support your message in a way that is easily digestible by the target audience.
   
   Picture perfect. Photos, graphs, and even icons are effective visual representations. Decide which works best for breaking down your subject material and use them wisely. Sometimes you can clearly convey an idea with visuals that would take a lot longer to explain using words.
   
   Make connections. Say it with visuals instead of words. Arrows and brackets are great symbols to use for differentiating between groups of ideas or data. Well-placed graphics can help guide your audience through the storytelling process.
   
   
4. Provide context and examples
   Everyone loves a good story. So, tell yours in a way that engages your audience and helps them relate to you. Use a personal story about a time you did X or Y, making sure it connects with your subject material. For instance, if you present an innovative new software program that protects personal data online, you may want to share a story about when you were not so careful about sharing too many details about yourself. Explain how the outcome of that experience could have been different if you had access to this amazing software. Your audience will see you as a fellow human being who suffered through a bad experience instead of just a salesperson pushing a product.
   
   
5. Pinpoint that “one thing”
   Visuals, context, and everyday language can go a long way toward achieving the ELI5 method. The most important skill of people who master ELI5 is to know when they are giving too much information. You risk making a complex subject matter feel even more complicated if you try to pack too much information into your presentation. Before you incorporate any of the other strategies, stop and ask yourself what is the “one thing” you want your audience to take away from your chat. Once you identify that one thing, ask yourself why your audience should care about it. If you nail that down, then all the rest will fall into place.