28 Sep 04 @ 12:50 pm
Kill The Cliches
If you’re tired of touching base with your empowered work force through enabled environments, MarketingProfs reminds us of eight reasons to avoid cliches:
# They don’t register. When faced with a cliche, we zone out. They just take up space and ensure that our audience will stop reading or listening, even sooner than they might otherwise.
# They’re a “cop out.” It doesn’t take skill to use them. They basically indicate that the user was too lazy to be creative or pull the thesaurus off the shelf.
# They’re confusing. Because they’re ambiguous, cliches can mean a million things to a million people. Use uniquely appropriate words.
# They’re flat. Cliches aren’t vivid. They do not stimulate the senses. (Worth noting … vividness is a marker of confidence.)
# They have no emotional impact. Since we’ve heard them before, they don’t cause our hearts to skip a beat.
# They do not result in changed behavior or a new understanding. If you’re trying to get someone to buy your product or prepare for layoffs, the worst thing you can do is use a cliché. The best thing is to say it straight and clear.
# They don’t differentiate you. If you’re a car manufacturer, why use the same stale advertising concept that the competition uses? Don’t show us another winding road.
# They’re habit-forming. Once we use them, it’s easier to use them again. If you don’t believe me, try writing an entire business letter without using one cliche.
posted in category(s): Coaching Points
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