Public speaking tip: Don’t play inside baseball

Every industry has a language that only insiders understand.

But what if you’re presenting to a diverse group of people who don’t live and breathe the words you use every day?

I once heard a logistics expert give an overview presentation to a roomful of business people – from attorneys, bankers, accountants and consultants, to PR types, hotel managers, nonprofit directors and entrepreneurs.

This audience was literally all over the board.

But the logistics expert forgot this.

To his audience, acronyms like LTL, FTL and LMS were received as foreign phrases.

If you’re a speaker, inside baseball is a dangerous game because audiences quickly check out.

Avoid inside baseball by keeping a running list of your industry’s “foreign phrases.”

When presenting to outsiders, either define these words and phrases — or avoid them altogether.