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Jargon busting

By Linda Julian

Don't pollute your communication with clients and prospective clients with unnecessary or unhelpful jargon.

Straightforward, clear language will take you much further than jargon and corporate-speak.

Some studies have shown that using jargon is likely to earn you the labels of "rude, obnoxious, arrogant, and out-of-touch".  Clear communication is far more likely to identify you as "energetic, friendly, and one of us  -  in touch".

Straight-talkers (on all levels) are more likeable, overall.  And being persuasive is substantially a function of being likeable and resonating with your audience.

More dangers attach to jargon than mere alienation  -  it's so easy to get jargon wrong. 

Many words are indigenous to a particular industry.  Be certain you know your audience before you toss them into the language you choose for a meeting or presentation.

Take, for example, "redundancy".  It has a particular meaning  -  and positive connotations  -  in technology.  Not so in scores of others.  Outside their element, some words take on entirely different meanings.

Rather than impressing your audience with jargon, focus on informing them and avoid the risk of getting jargon not quite right or "off-key".

Jargon dates, and may date you.  Once, a quick, unscientific test of potential success of an idea or product was "to run it up the flag pole".  Now, it's the "smell test". 

Plain old "follow-up" or "getting back to me" is rapidly morphing into "circling back".  "Prohibited" or "not allowed" is now jargonised as "circle slash" (the oral equivalent of a circle with an oblique line through it  -  like road sign).  You can be certain these will date quickly.

Suddenly, it's fashionable to "empower" your offsider rather than to just plain "delegate".

Savvy, passionate professionals don't need obscure language and "clever" jargon to communicate.  Rather than conforming to transitory fashions in jargon, which can usher you into obscurity, clear communication is plain to all.

Overcome the jargon epidemic and speak with candour and clarity.

P.S.  If you want to be really original, create your own verbs from favourite nouns by adding on "ed" suffix.  Like you've been "eTipped" on this !


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