As I read the list, I felt the lifeblood flow outward from me, pooling mercilessly at my feet. My strength, always the words, were being tossed out on their ear by hundreds of local government officials in England. Admonished never to be used again I found my favorites listed in the Local Government Association 100 Banned Words list of Jargon that confuses customers and obfuscates communication. (oops, I did it again.)
The list of words were assembled by this English governmental association to help the citizens understand what the heck the politicians were talking about. (ya, like speaking plain English will really help.) It occurs to me that being more understandable is certainly a lesson every one can learn including sales professionals, marketers and those Über sales pros, politicians.
So I read the email from my friend Tim Davis, then I opened the list to find the words, and that is when the trouble started. My favorite words and phrases were on the list! Dang it. Collecting myself I did a little research. It was certainly only their opinion as an association after all and of course they were British and didn't quite understand our colloquialisms that I began to breath again.
But you know they have a tremendous point. If you, like I, live and die by your words, how important is it that they be understood by the people who receive them? Ya, Über is an understatement isn't it? Maybe I should back off of my defensiveness a little and get the point!
Besides, I just looked at their home page, and guess what? Oops, they did it again!
Respectfully submitted,
(unless you are perhaps a politician)
Michael D. Goodman
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