Irritating business phrases - again
#32
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I found a good one on the internet>
1. "Out of the box"
Are you an out-of-the-box thinker? If you actually use the phrase "out of the box" for anything other than making fun of people who say it, you are about as inside the box as you can get. You know that stray Styrofoam peanut that gets wedged under the inside flap deep inside the box? Yeah, that's you.
2. "I'm a guru"
Please don't call yourself a guru just because you are pretty good at something. You aren't a guru. If you think you are, you clearly don't know what a guru is. It's not clever. Nobody takes you seriously. We're not impressed. Perhaps you should call yourself a unicorn instead. It's equally absurd.
3. "My two cents"
Is that all your advice is worth? If you don't think what you are about to say is worth more than two cents, what am I supposed to think of it? How about you keep your two cents and only speak up when you are ready with your $2 million advice?
4. "Let me give you my card"
If I wanted your card, I would have asked for it. Now you've not only killed a tree because I'm going to throw away your card the second you turn around, you've put it on my conscience.
How about this: Make me want to ask for your card. Try spending more than a few minutes with me. Learn who I am. Tell me something really interesting about yourself. This is called building a relationship.
5. "Literally"
I am literally going to gouge out my eyes with a dull butter knife if you continue to use the word "literally" when you literally mean "figuratively." Seriously.
6. "It's not rocket science"
Is this the official measurement that determines if something is difficult nowadays? It's not rocket science. I bet it's not a bologna sandwich either, so why not use that instead? Because it doesn't make any sense.
7. "We have synergy"
Peanut butter and chocolate have synergy. You and some guy you just met at a local networking event do not. Telling him you feel synergy in an effort to sell him or his clients something is pretty crummy.
8. "Social media ROI"
Stop talking about ROI when it comes to social media. Social media is meant for building relationships. If it turns into business, great. If it doesn't, great. It shouldn't be your sole purpose. Ask your spouse what the ROI is of your marriage, and let me know how it goes.
9. "State of the art"
You can't describe something as "state of the art" with a phrase that is not state of the art.
10. "New media"
News flash! The Internet is more than 20 years old. Google is almost 15 years old. Facebook is eight years old. This is not new media. It's media. Stop pretending like you created this new form of marketing and interaction. You use the same tools as the rest of us.
11. "Cyberspace"
Would you please just call it the Internet already? I think that pretty much covers this one.
12. "To be honest with you"
No, I would prefer you lie to me. The problem with saying "to be honest with you" is that it insinuates everything you said up until this point is a complete and utter lie.
For example, I have the ability to communicate with sea urchins, but to be honest with you, I really like hot dogs.
How did you fare? Don't worry if you failed. We're all guilty of blurting out one or two of these phrases at some point or another. Besides, who's to say I'm even right? It's just my two cents.
With the courtesy of http://www.ragan.com/Main/Articles/T...es_47201.aspx#
1. "Out of the box"
Are you an out-of-the-box thinker? If you actually use the phrase "out of the box" for anything other than making fun of people who say it, you are about as inside the box as you can get. You know that stray Styrofoam peanut that gets wedged under the inside flap deep inside the box? Yeah, that's you.
2. "I'm a guru"
Please don't call yourself a guru just because you are pretty good at something. You aren't a guru. If you think you are, you clearly don't know what a guru is. It's not clever. Nobody takes you seriously. We're not impressed. Perhaps you should call yourself a unicorn instead. It's equally absurd.
3. "My two cents"
Is that all your advice is worth? If you don't think what you are about to say is worth more than two cents, what am I supposed to think of it? How about you keep your two cents and only speak up when you are ready with your $2 million advice?
4. "Let me give you my card"
If I wanted your card, I would have asked for it. Now you've not only killed a tree because I'm going to throw away your card the second you turn around, you've put it on my conscience.
How about this: Make me want to ask for your card. Try spending more than a few minutes with me. Learn who I am. Tell me something really interesting about yourself. This is called building a relationship.
5. "Literally"
I am literally going to gouge out my eyes with a dull butter knife if you continue to use the word "literally" when you literally mean "figuratively." Seriously.
6. "It's not rocket science"
Is this the official measurement that determines if something is difficult nowadays? It's not rocket science. I bet it's not a bologna sandwich either, so why not use that instead? Because it doesn't make any sense.
7. "We have synergy"
Peanut butter and chocolate have synergy. You and some guy you just met at a local networking event do not. Telling him you feel synergy in an effort to sell him or his clients something is pretty crummy.
8. "Social media ROI"
Stop talking about ROI when it comes to social media. Social media is meant for building relationships. If it turns into business, great. If it doesn't, great. It shouldn't be your sole purpose. Ask your spouse what the ROI is of your marriage, and let me know how it goes.
9. "State of the art"
You can't describe something as "state of the art" with a phrase that is not state of the art.
10. "New media"
News flash! The Internet is more than 20 years old. Google is almost 15 years old. Facebook is eight years old. This is not new media. It's media. Stop pretending like you created this new form of marketing and interaction. You use the same tools as the rest of us.
11. "Cyberspace"
Would you please just call it the Internet already? I think that pretty much covers this one.
12. "To be honest with you"
No, I would prefer you lie to me. The problem with saying "to be honest with you" is that it insinuates everything you said up until this point is a complete and utter lie.
For example, I have the ability to communicate with sea urchins, but to be honest with you, I really like hot dogs.
How did you fare? Don't worry if you failed. We're all guilty of blurting out one or two of these phrases at some point or another. Besides, who's to say I'm even right? It's just my two cents.
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#33
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Ah, now Turbohot...
Back when I worked for a consultancy as a junior I was told the line "But it's not Rocket Science" to which I replied, this project is in the Space and Defence division, yes, it ****ing well is Rocket Science.
Written warnings suck
Back when I worked for a consultancy as a junior I was told the line "But it's not Rocket Science" to which I replied, this project is in the Space and Defence division, yes, it ****ing well is Rocket Science.
Written warnings suck
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#35
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In fact it depends in what context and how often it is used or misused. Doesn't sound right as a parrot-phrase.
#37
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#38
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Agendas and objectives pushed out before, turn up unprepared and enjoy your new **** being ripped open. Actions assigned and confirmed before we close. If you want to be dead wood, find somewhere else to drift.
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#39
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Well thankgod I'm a farmer. None of all this suit-wearing, brief case holding, PowerPoint presentation bullsh1t b0llocks which I guess no one pays much attention to anyway...? Total waste of time judging by the replies on this thread so why do people bother with them? Are they just full of arranont wanna-be's?
Last edited by LSherratt; 28 September 2013 at 10:11 AM.
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Well thankgod I'm a farmer. None of all this suit-wearing, brief case holding, PowerPoint presentation bullsh1t b0llocks which I guess no one pays much attention to anyway...? Total waste of time judging by the replies on this thread so why do people bother with them? Are they just full of arranont wanna-be's?
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#46
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Most of our meetings reduce to who is cleaning up whose ****, whether they should be cleaning up their own ****, whether some need help to **** and that real **** flows downhill. Sometimes the **** is figurative, but usually literal. Other bodily fluids can be substituted, but my job is comparable to that of a plumber, trying to avoid **** and make **** go where it should. With those variations, our meetings are brief and odourless.
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I know a few Massey fans too; they're not bad.
Our son could identify most major brands by their colour aged two. And pretty much every car make by it's badge!
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My pet peeve is verbing (verbification). My boss KEEPS doing this and I've ended up telling him not to speak to me unless he going to use at least a near resemblance to English.
#52
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He probably *******ised the more common we need to "have some skin in the game" i.e have a share in what's going on.
Still rubbish obviously but marginally more forgivable than some of the other crap people come out with.
Still rubbish obviously but marginally more forgivable than some of the other crap people come out with.
#53
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What did he mean, he is a sales guy - he wouldn't know what the **** he meant.
Another 'term' for you to ponder, and this was in the same sentence I might add, by said sales guy.
Let <InsertCompanyName> put some skin on the game, and then we'll get them in the long grass.
It was a term for trying to get someone else to make a financial commitment in a project basically.
Last edited by urban; 30 September 2013 at 02:32 PM.