The Sustainable Pitch
I came across a new method to extract understandable information from incredibly intelligent people by accident. I simply ask them to speak to me the same way they would a small child.
It might sound preposterous out of context, maybe even a little juvenile (pun intended). But with the sustainability fever spreading like wildfire, it has become increasingly difficult to get a straight definition of anything involving sustainability.
Everyone simply assumes that you already know. My view is that to fully understand anything you must start from the beginning. I can hear your minds screaming duh right now, but seriously think about it. The entire environmental movement begins in the middle. I can think of a dozen examples right off the top of my head.
“Sustainable fishing is fishing that uses sustainable methods. Energy efficiency is using energy more efficiently. A green building is a building that applies green science.”
The list goes on and on.
Nobody would deliberately watch a movie an hour into it or read a book starting with page one hundred. So why is it suddenly all right to begin in the middle of the environmentally friendly story? The perfect explanation of environmental jargon is locked away in brilliant minds that forget from time to time that simplicity is always appreciated.
So when in doubt adopt my favorite phrase of the day, “please address me as if I’m five years old sans the baby voice.” And with any luck, you will also get a smile for your effort.
