For some reason, many newly-minted MBA recipients believe these words actually work in communicating to the business market. As a result, they'll add "fluff" words, the more obscure the better. Here is an example from a leading consulting company:
Whether the change is large or small, the ability to manage change is a critical competency for high performance organizations. We help organizations prepare for coming changes, manage the complex organizational and workforce transition to the desired end state, operate successfully once a business solution or transformation is in place and realize the greatest long-term value from their business improvement efforts.
Huh? Translated, this means "we can deliver powerful value to shareholders". So why not say it directly?
Whether your customer is a consumer or a business executive, he or she WANTS to be excited and motivated. Your customer wants to be talked to in accessible, straightforward language. If YOUR website or corporate capability brochure incorporates business speak, I encourage you to :
1. Take away the jargon. Keep the tone informative, professional, yet simple.
2. Present your benefits in a consistent manner, combining right-brain and left-brain motivators.
3. Create or leverage your own proprietary brand. Don't just talk about "quality, value, service." Any company can say that. Communicate why your brand is better. Use competitive differentiators.
4. Present yourself as a leader or expert; in other words, own the niche.
5. Modernize your look and keep paragraphs short. Add bullets if applicable. Ask yourself: "Would I read and get excited by what's written on this page?"
Don't just copy your competitors. Blaze your own trail. Research has proven that plain-speaking language outpulls the jargon...even for that guy or gal in the corner office.
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