How “Intelligent” Messaging Quietly Erodes ROI

Many businesses and nonprofits struggle because they assume their buyers want to be impressed. They assume buyers are drawn to sophistication, to language that sounds elevated, creative, or intellectually layered. As a result, their messaging becomes more nuanced and internally impressive, but less immediately compelling to the person who must decide whether to act. That assumption feels reasonable. In sophisticated industries (e.g., higher education, nonprofit strategy, professional…