101 Bad Business Buzzwords (And Why to Avoid Them)
Today’s marketing and proposal materials are littered with important-sounding words that have no real value. Seamless, top-notch, world-class, laser-focused, and best of breed: we’ve all been guilty of using terms like these in place of meaningful descriptors.
Unfortunately, buzzwords can seriously weaken your persuasive messaging and give an impression of insecurity. In fact, a study by researchers at New York University and the University of Basel found that readers are significantly more likely to think your statements are untruthful when written with abstract language, rather than with concrete terms and phrasing. Not good.
That’s why this week we’re listing the 101 buzzwords we most often see in marketing and proposal writing. They take many forms, from correct words used in ways never intended to bizarre verbs transformed from nouns, but they all have better alternatives. So next time you type one, stop and think of a more concise and meaningful replacement. Your readers—and bottom line—will thank you.
24/7
actionable
agent of change
apples to apples
at this point in time
back to the drawing board
bang for the buck
benefit of the doubt
beside the point
best and brightest
best in class
best of breed
best practices
big picture
bite the bullet
boots on the ground
bring to the table
built-in safeguards
change agent
circle back
clean slate
client-centered
close the loop
come full circle
core competency
cream of the crop
customer intimacy
cut to the chase
cutting-edge
data-driven
dialed-in
drastic action
drop-dead date
drop the ball
each and every
functionality
give the green light to
giving 110 percent
goes without saying
grind to a halt
hard and fast
having the bandwidth
hit the ground running
hot pursuit
ill-fated
in close proximity
in no uncertain terms
in the day and age
in the loop
in the trenches
iron out the problem
keep options open
laser-focused
last but not least
level playing field
leverage
low-hanging fruit
make the case for
marked contrast
mission critical
more or less
moving up the value chain
needless to say
needs no introduction
one and the same
one stop shop
open and shut
paradigm shift
plug-and-play
point in time
pushing the envelope
put in the parking lot
raising the bar
reinventing the wheel
research-proven and field-tested
right-sizing
robust
run of the mill
said and done
seamless transition/integration
second to none
seeing the big picture
sharpen our pencils
silo
skin in the game
soup to nuts
square the circle
step up to the plate
synergy or synergizing
take it off-line
thanking you in advance
think outside the box
thought leader
too numerous to mention
top-notch
track record
turnkey operation/solution
unprecedented opportunity
value-add
win-win situation
world-class
Get Chatty: There are many more out there, so share your insight. What hollow words or phrases do you frequently see in proposal and marketing materials? Leave a comment and let us know!
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