Too Many Firms Use Jargon to Convey Ideas
Too many firms use jargon to convey ideas
By Stacey Burling
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
So you’re at a party getting to know a couple of attractive strangers.
"What do you do?" you ask one of them innocently.
"I’m a market-leading provider of technology-enabled process-optimization tools to reduce and right-size inventory, improve forecast accuracy and service, optimize production resources, and reduce cycle time across the supply chain," your new acquaintance intones.
Whoa, time to get out of here, you think. But you recover your social graces enough to look hopefully at his friend.
"Well," the friend says, "I develop small-molecule, orally administered pharmacological chaperones for the treatment of human genetic diseases."
"How interesting," you lie, edging toward the door. "I’m sorry to run, but I just remembered I have to clean the cat boxes. Nice meeting you."
Obvious as it may be that such heinous assaults on the English language would send people at a party running, this is how real businesses introduce themselves to reporters - and anyone else who reads their news releases on their Web sites - every day.
After enduring this literary torture nearly to the breaking point, we thought it might help to share our pain, plus some thoughts from business experts - dare we say "thought leaders" - about the virtues of clear communication. After all, if potential customers cannot figure out what your company does, that might be a problem.