This month marks the 10th anniversary of the passing of David Ogilvy. Expelled from Oxford as a less-than-average student, he went on to become a sous-chef in Paris, a stove salesman in Scotland, a British Intelligence officer in Washington, and a farmer in Pennsylvania.  Then he discovered his true calling, founding what would become one of world’s largest, most successful ad agencies: Ogilvy & Mather. Above all, he was known as a great communicator. Here are three things everyone can learn from him:

1. Your reader isn’t a moron.

Ogilvy knew that the best writers had respect for their readers. He famously said, “The consumer isn’t a moron; she is your wife.” Ogilvy understood that your readers are not just customers or a target audience or a means to an end. They’re your wife, your husband, your best friend.

You never yell at your readers or lie to them. If you try to manipulate your readers, they’ll sense it. If you talk down to them, they’ll resent it. And if you waste their time, you’ll lose them. Instead, you look for every opportunity to give your readers information they can act on.

2. Information is persuasive. Fluff isn’t.

In 1958, Ogilvy created a magazine ad for a Rolls Royce ad that would feature one of the most famous headlines in advertising history. He could have written some vague advertising fluff about Rolls Royce being a well built, quality car. Instead, he informed us that “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in this new Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.”

Ogilvy’s headline said it all. Instead of merely claiming quality, he demonstrated quality with a headline that painted an unforgettable picture in the reader’s mind. It reflected his conviction that “The more informative your advertising, the more persuasive it will be.”

This is true of all business communications. If you want people to do something, give them good information about that thing. Don’t just tell me that I need to be at your meeting. Tell me why it’s important. Don’t just tell me that your product is great. Tell me what makes it great. Give me specific, concrete reasons to believe that your service is better, your people friendlier, or your solution more reliable.

3. Speak to your readers in their own language.

Ogilvy claimed that he didn’t know the rules of grammar. Not true. What he really meant is that he didn’t let stiff, formal language get in the way of good communication. Persuasive writing should be conversational. Ogilvy explained:

“If you’re trying to persuade people to do something, or buy something, it seems to me you should use their language, the language they use every day, the language in which they think. We try to write in the vernacular.”

I’ll close with one last Ogilvy quote. It’s a favorite from Ogilvy on Advertising, one of the first books I read on advertising as a young ad agency copywriter in England. Even though Ogilvy was talking about advertising, his insight applies to any type of business communication from your big presentation to the next email you write:

“I do not regard advertising as entertainment or an art form, but as a medium of information. When I write an advertisement, I don’t want you to tell me that you find it ‘creative.’ I want you to find it so interesting that you buy the product. When Aeschines spoke, they said, ‘How well he speaks.’ But when Demosthenes spoke, they said, ‘Let us march against Philip.’”