“FYI, going forward, in the long run, we need to adopt a KISS approach as we engage our stakeholders by adding value and leveraging our brand equity in our chosen silos!”

What? Huh? Does that mean anything to you?

No?

Of course not! I didn’t think so.

There’s a good reason. It’s gobbledygook, mumbo-jumbo or jargon.

Too many speeches or presentations are littered with corporate ‘unspeak’

Why does this happen?

Here are some of the most common reasons speakers engage in this mortal sin:

• They want to impress their audiences
  • Many presenters use jargon in an effort to be liked by or to ‘fit in’ with members of their audiences or peers – illustrating that they know and can use insider language, acronyms, terms of art or technical phrases.

• They want to make what they say seem more important or believable
  • This is especially true in certain academic and professional circles – where simplistic explanation is shunned if there’s a way to make something sound more complex or sophisticated!

• They’re short cut ways of saying certain things
  • While using the lazy man’s way of doing something isn’t much of an excuse; this offers some justification for using jargon – providing everyone uses similar phrases when discussing the topic at hand.

Why Using Jargon or Slang Leads to Audience Disengagement

Far from impressing audiences, if you use jargon, acronyms or ‘insider’ slang:

#1. You will reduce the capacity of an audience to understand and retain your intended messages.

This is because audience members who are not familiar with this language will necessarily be excluded from extracting meaning from your words.

And even those who do ‘get’ specialist words will commonly zone out when confronted by clichés.

#2. You run the risk of seeming to be less trustworthy and/or irritating

According to a study by New York University and the University of Basel, the less concrete your language is – the less trustworthy you will seem.

Of course, that’s hardly surprising.

If you’re listening to someone who consistently uses language that seems to obscure meaning or makes you feel like you have to work to understand them – how do you feel?

Any chance you might think the speaker is trying to bamboozle you or find yourself getting cross that you’re not hearing anything new or of substance?

Of course!

And the moral of the story?

Try to steer clear of jargon or, if you must use it, do so sparingly.

Remember – simpler messages have greater resonance, are easier to remember, are easier to share and are more likely to be acted upon.

As a speaker, complexity is never your friend.

Avoiding Business Jargon – What Are Your Thoughts and Tips?

Share some examples of jargon abuse you’ve been subjected to or your thoughts on how this communication scourge can be discouraged.