BUZZWORDS

There was a Toyota ad a while ago that said 'Good Thinking, Good Product', remember it? Well, with the confusion that buzzwords have introduced into the practice of the law one wonders...

A buzzword is a word that originally expressed a specific idea that both the hearer and the speaker agreed meant the same thing and therefore could have a meaningful conversation with.
No confusion. But because of the wrong use, misuse, tweaking and wasteful use of said word, it now has lost its meaning or has acquired different shades of meaning that no two people can agree on so it is now useless for any practical purposes. For example, 'go' means 'go' anywhere and anytime so there can be no argument about this. Furthermore, the idea it sought to express is lost to the legal profession and its clients.
When a term has become commonplace i.e. a buzzword, no two people use it alike, it can't be understood or convey any meaning.

Clarity of expression follows from clarity of thought i.e. if you are explaining your ideas and position clearly and persuasively you must have done some clear thinking. You can only do so with words that have clear meaning that you and your potential or existing client agree upon.

The buzzword list is rather long and while it sounds sophisticated, it communicates no specific meaning just a vague idea. Branding, Value-Add, Niche Marketing e.t.c. Think not? Ask two of your colleagues what these words mean...

Think of words like this the next time you or your ilk wants to make a contribution: The thing is to explain your IDEA clearly and to explain your THOUGHT clearly so that what you have in your head is what your audience sees when you speak.
In this sense, thoughts and ideas are the cargo and words are the delivery service (UPS, DHL, FEDEX). If you choose a rundown service, your cargo will:

1. Get lost.
2. Get to you late or damaged
3. Never get to you.

In marketing your legal services using confusing words capable of multiple interpretations perhaps in a bid to sound sharp will almost certainly lead to ' I thought you meant, but no I did not' conversations down the road and remember, you will be there to face the music.

So what should you do?
1. Explain your ideas so that children can understand you. If you can do this with you wealth and depth of knowledge and experience, you are almost a genius.
2. Call out chaps who introduce such nonsense verbiage and ask for simpler words.
3. Give your self a tax on buzzwords.

Oh, one final thing. Stick to just two syllable words and three at the most.