When you work in a specialized field for long enough, technical jargon and industry lingo start to sound like everyday words. You might start to take it for granted that everyone knows what you mean if you say something like "unsubscribe." But Mark Brownlow warns that you could be talking to your audience with words they don't understand.

For perspective, consider slang used throughout the entertainment industry. "Coverage," for instance, is the concise summary and analysis of a screenplay for executives; "tenpercentery" is a common term for agencies. But the average person would be baffled by these industry-specific terms.

In the same way, Brownlow says you might inadvertently use marketingspeak when you communicate with your customers. For a reality check, he recommends finding five friends who are not "power users" of the web or email. Then:

• Ask them to "whitelist" your email address.
• Ask if they want the "HTML" version of your offer.
• Assure them your campaigns comply with "CAN-SPAM."

"They will look at you like you’re speaking Estonian," he argues.

And that kind of disconnect is bad for business. "If [your customers] can't comprehend a request or instruction," asks Brownlow, "how can they react positively to it, or take the appropriate action?"

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