I majored in English at college.  When I need to understand a subject or idea that is math-based I turn to my husband, who uses that side of his brain.  After a couple of attempts to explain, say, the design principals behind the Brooklyn Bridge, I’ll be frustrated, as will he.   So I tell him to “Explain it to me like I’m a five year old.”   And he does, and I am grateful, as I can understand nearly any complex theory or project when it is broken down simply.

During a new client meeting recently my client was obviously glazed-over and was surely going to throw up her hands entirely and ignore social media, which is the very thing that she needs to get customers to her business.    At first, naturally, I thought that she was being stubborn.   But then I did what all good business people do and looked within.  What was “I” doing wrong? It was not that the client was stupid, in fact quite the opposite, so I knew that I was explaining Social Media to her in “my” terms, and as I have a deep understanding of Social Media and she is a Newbie I may as well have been speaking Latin.

So I readjusted and sketched out the following — and it worked. Immediately.   I prefaced the below explanation by telling her that I was going to break it down as simply as possible and that my intention was certainly not to insult her but rather to make it easy for her to work with us on the proper products for her business.     She was thrilled.  And off we go!

Social Media explained to me like I’m  a five year old:

• Twitter: I am hungry!
• Facebook: I just ate.
• YouTube: Watch me eat!
• LinkedIn: I am a professionally-trained eater.

Voila.