Crossbow Studio

Two days ago, I met with a potential new client.  She was attractive and gracious, smart and professional. But of all of her qualities, the one I admired most was her attention to language.

During our one-hour meeting, she twice corrected herself when choosing words that didn't quite match her intentions - and me once (when I was second-guessing her intent).

What stood out even more was the lack of jargon and clichés. Here are some things she DIDN'T say:

• "Let's touch base"
• "At the end of the day, what matters is..."
• "Bottom line..."
• "I'm available 24/7"
• "To be honest with you"
• "At this moment in time"
• "With all due respect" or
• "Bear with me"

Nor did she:

• "Get on the same page"
• "Throw anyone under the bus"
• "Push the envelope" OR
• "Think outside of the box"

Last week, I met with a potential client who was quite the opposite. He used almost every one of the above within the first half hour of our meeting. Which client do you think will be easier to assist in differentiating their marketing message?

Those who understand the importance of saying what they mean with the fewest possible words - not just when creating a marketing message, but as a habit - will have a clear advantage over the cliché-slinging, meaningless vocabulary of the masses.