From the time we’re kids, we’re taught that there are certain words you just can’t say. Those of us who had a hard time sticking to the rules usually had them reinforced with a bar of soap.
We certainly don’t recommend censorship, but we do believe there are certain words that should be banned from corporate messaging.
We’re in good company. David Meerman Scott developed his “Gobbledygook Manifesto” to demonstrate his frustration with companies that speak in jargon or with over-used words. According to Meerman Scott, the top five overused words by corporations are: next-generation, flexible, robust, world class and scalable.
We have our own list of “banned words” that we enforce during messaging workshops with our clients. It’s hard work, but we believe there are better ways to say what you do by focusing on how you benefit customers.
Our banned words include:
Award-winning
Best
Cutting-edge
Empower
Ground-breaking
Innovative
Integration
Leading
Mission critical
Next-generation
Revolutionary
Strategic partnership
World-class
What words would you add to this list?