Who wants to iterate? "We do!" What about pivot? "Yes!" What the hell are we talking about? "No idea!"
"We need to iterate on that last pivot to optimize our learnings."
This is an actual quote. By a real live person. Said on purpose! It looks like English, but it sure doesn't sound like English. At what point did we decide this is an acceptable way to express ourselves to co-workers? Partners? Clients?
Jargon Is Lazy
Despite my best efforts, I find myself using jargon. I've made the decision to become more aware of when I do in order to to figure out why I do it. My early thought was "the client expects me to speak this way." Then, I started thinking "well, if everyone does it, shouldn't I to 'fit in?'" After all, someone once told me that it's too hard to change others language; better to embrace buzzwords and try to transition people to your language over time.
If I'm really honest with myself, I use jargon because I'm lazy. It's easier to fall back on buzzwords that already exist in the business lexicon than to try and relay the information using our own words. Using our own authentic voice. It's a lot harder to come up with compelling stories using plain speak. Don't believe me? Try it in your next presentation. Aim for zero buzzwords and tell me how hard it was to make it through without using a single piece of jargon.
Jargon Fills Value Gaps
Our job in marketing and sales is to convey value. Shouldn't we strive to clearly and plainly convey that value to potential customers? Why then do we use jargon? Because jargon fills our perceived gaps in value. Using buzzwords and linking them to our offer makes the offer sound better! We ignore the fact that the problem may actually be in our offer, or in our story.
Jargon Makes Us Sound The Same
We spend so much time trying to find our (Warning: Buzzwords coming!) "competitive advantage" and our "unique selling proposition"...why then do we revert to sounding like every other sales person? Every other marketing person? How many times can you hear "low-hanging-fruit" before you decide you want to smack someone with that branch? Think about your last five presentations you were in. How many sounded exactly the same? You get someone's attention for such a short time, don't spend it sounding like the last five reps that were in the room.
Jargon Is A Habit
You want to find your 'unique selling proposition?' Focus on the first word...unique! Reducing jargon usage isn't suggesting you dumb things down, rather, it's saying: time to stop using the same old cliched buzzwords.
Hey, I'm guilty too.
Which brings me to my last point: using jargon is a habit. A bad one. One that requires focus and dedication to break. But imagine how much smoother meetings will go when everyone is using plain speak. Imagine how relieved your customers will feel when you stop being pretentious and start treating them like people. And, an added bonus, you won't sound like all the other sales people. Your message may actually get received and remembered!
I'm not at all suggesting you revert to 'bar-language' when you speak with clients and partners. But if you want to (Warning: buzzword coming!) "cut through the clutter" stop contributing to the clutter in the first place! Buzzwords and jargon are just filler words that don't add much if anything to a conversation. Talk with your partners. Listen to your co-workers. Create value by understanding those you work with and for...and help those people understand you. And a great first step? Kill the jargon.
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