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There is an epidemic in the world of business which is as contagious as the common cold... problem is, it's not seasonal, strikes at any time, and effects us all.
Let me introduce you to Jungle Jargon (JJ) -Yes! another acumen to add to the collection. JJ is the high tech, meaningless jargon that litters verbal communications found rampant in the business and political scenes - a by-product of the push to be a `smarter country'. Skillfully, JJ has fooled the corporate giants and entrepreneurs into thinking that by employing such terminology it will provide them with: a marketing edge; a prestigious image; the tools to placate insecure employees; a means to justify their existence... in other words, that they're doing the important `stuff'. Trouble is, the real message is being distorted and people are starting to mistrust their motives. The effect that JJ is having on communications in the business arena can be damaging, and can produce some undesirable results.
As marketing is one of the greatest vehicles in promoting your business, employing JJ in your advertising campaigns can be `risky business'. Indeed, it has the ability to sabotage your marketing and promotional messages, and ruin your efforts in building morale in an already fragile environment. Before your audience can decipher your message, they've either lost interest or have lost the plot entirely. This is particularly the case in: sales letters; in-house correspondence; presentations; and other public relation exercises. JJ offers a false sense of security in having you believe that it is giving your business the: smarter; bigger; more efficient look - Fact is, you could be relaying an image which is viewed as: cold; arrogant; impersonal; intimidating; and lacking imagination. People want to be made to feel important, they want the personal touch - these are the fundamental ingredients in developing a successful business.
The corporate and political scenes are a breeding ground for JJ. They are havens for the `cut & paste' executives who thrive on delivering speeches and producing copious amounts of correspondence - it's here that JJ springs into every line of verbiage. Nobody is interested in inflated images that are based on words or phrases and plagued with insincerity. To get people's attention you need to offer them a solution to their needs - benefits. So save the rap for family dinner parties... they'll love you no matter what.
Here are some of JJ's favourite weapons, and how your audience may interpret or perceive them:
So... who's responsible for the outbreak of JJ, is it: the CIA; the age of IT; the CEO's and their 2IC's, or the Phd's who use PCs? Who ever are to blame, I suggest the easiest way to deal with the JJ epidemic in the business world, is to get back to using basic communications that produce the right emotional responses- `cut the guff and get to the point'. Let's face it, with the barrage of media, we want to be left at the end of a day with a warm fuzzy feeling not feel fried and frazzled - Oops! has JJ just paid me a visit?
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