1. Demonstrate that tact is important with a seemingly elaborate joke.
2. Recommend that you use the same tact when talking with clients/investors.
implicitly:
3. Assume that your clients/investors are equally good listeners.
This is where it gets hard.
When you tell someone your idea the first time, chances are high that they will misunderstand you. When that happens, founders' first impulse is to correct them. But you can get a lot of value by allowing that uncomfortable misunderstanding to linger for a bit while you listen.
(edited to clarify some verb ownership and improve sentence pacing)
"In some situations, you won't have a chance to correct mis-understandings."
I think this is more important than to be in footnote. Its worth to listen patiently where you can expect to be listened to patiently. [1] Otherwise you should take initiative and perhaps politely interrupt and say something to distract from the misunderstanding. Arguing with customers is almost always a disaster.
[1]: Although you might want to know what the customer thinks even if you are sure you aren't making a sale. (edit: slight clarification note)
If someone misunderstands me -- be it in a pitch, a presentation, or a discussion -- then I assume the blame. Either my point is muddy, or my delivery of that point is unclear. That's on me.
While that isn't always true, it's a good rule of thumb by which to operate. Always assume you're being unclear, rather than that your audience just doesn't "get it." Be humble and be open to course correction. And pay very close attention if everyone misunderstands you in roughly the same way; that's usually a leading indicator of some fundamental flaw in your pitch.