It happens every week: another email that “hopes it finds you well”, another LinkedIn post that’s going to “change the way you work”, another phone call or meeting that sounds stiff and scripted. You might be starting to wonder:
Have the robots taken over?
If I am talking to a person, do they ever leave their desk?
The first step is self-awareness: are we leaning a little too much on workplace lingo?
10 Corporate Buzzwords Bugging Your Customer
Here are the 10 corporate catchphrases people find most annoying, and what you could say instead:
10. Throw it Up and See What Sticks → Let’s try this approach to see what works.
9. Re-Invent the Wheel → We’re not starting with nothing. We have a foundation to build on.
8. Low-Hanging Fruit → Let’s start with what seems easiest/most accessible.
7. Get Our Ducks in a Row → Do we feel prepared for what’s next?
6. Put a Pin in It → Let’s come back to that later.
5. Synergy → What can we do to improve collaboration?
4. Let’s Table This → Let’s move that to next week’s meeting.
3. Boots on the Ground → We have direct, relevant experience.
2. Work Hard, Play Hard → We’ve earned this.
1. Circle Back → I’ll follow up once I know more.
We’ve all used these phrases in customer/client communication. But why? And how do we keep things fresh when our time is limited?
When Patterns are a Problem
It’s true. Homogeneous customer communication can happen when we overuse writing and editing tools. But a closer look makes it a bit of a chicken-or-egg question. For one, redundancy is a very human problem for leaders. We get into patterns. We use jargon and buzzwords as shortcuts. And we publish that content for (or send it, or say it to) our clients.
Of course, language learning models and content-creation tools are trained on what we put out there, a lot of which sounds similar. So over time, what those tools give us to work with sounds more and more similar, not only to our own content but to our collaborators and competitors.
Emerging evidence is anecdotal, but still worth considering. Sales development professionals are beginning to notice that their customers favor (and respond more favorably to) human communication, and it’s impacting both initial reply rates and downstream conversions.
Adjust and Adapt
No one is suggesting hand-writing everything you send your customers on monogrammed stationary, or creating every post, email, and call script from scratch. Simple adjustments to client communication can help you be more personable without sacrificing productivity.
- Consider your comms. Look at your emails, blogs, and social media posts (yes, for your brand, but also what you send and say directly to others). Are there any words, phrases, or ideas you repeat? Any metaphors you rely on too much?
[Pro Tip: look closely at platforms/conversations where you’re seeing lower engagement or infrequent follow-up. There’s no need for an overhaul.]- What’s one change you can make this week to make the way you communicate more authentic?
- Review and refresh. Look at what your team is planning to send this week, this month, or this quarter.
- What personal touches can be added?
- What stale, stiff, or overused phrasing can be removed and replaced with something warmer and more relatable?
- What personal touches can be added?
- People are powerful. Yes, we’re surrounded by innovation. But there’s nothing like imagination. Make sure people are still involved in creating and editing your content, including sales scripts, follow-ups, and internal comms. Authentic communication means authentic connection, and that’s never a bad investment for leaders and teams.
- How are you prioritizing creativity and imagination in your workplace communication?
Say Less. Mean More.
The phrases we lean on become invisible to us over time, but they’re not invisible to the people we’re trying to reach. Authentic communication isn’t about scrapping everything and starting over. It’s about staying aware of when your habits are doing the talking instead of you.
When your team is ready to communicate with more clarity, intention, and deeper human connection, we’d love to be a supportive partner in that work.
Connect with us to explore how Willow North helps leaders and teams communicate in ways that resonate with clients and improve work relationships.