Buzz Words Killed the Radio Star

I’m ideating a method proposition to add enterprise grade value which will synergize your verticals.

*cringe* Hold on a second…I need to go wash off the dirty. In all of what I typed above, I didn’t actually tell you _anything_. But, what you expect now is some thing that should make your things work well together. Why don’t we just say that? Because people expect exact answers and the above sounds more like an exact answer! Keep in mind that most places wont do anything nearly as drastic as what I posted above.

Where To Begin?

Buzz words suck. Often times these words start as a way to differentiate products and/or services. While grande, buzz words tend to lose their meaning when _everything_ and/or _everyone_ uses them. When people adopt them on a large scale you’re not actually saying anything. Most people can get the gist of what you’re attempt to say because most people have a brain that works reasonably well, at the very least better than this weasel. However, you lose credibility when you start throwing those kinds of words around.

I’ve been, for a while now, trying to figure out why they are so popular. I’m not sure where it started. The main reasons for using them, that I can think of, are differentiation and filler.

Differentiation

The attempt to be different. This works out reasonably well when you’re the first person/company to say that you are an “enterprise” solution. But, when every competitor uses the term, SURPRISE, you’re no longer different. Or are you? What about the feature you can create a pony out of thin air? I’d say that likely differentiates you, wouldn’t you? Stick to the features and to your capabilities. Those should be what differentiates you.

Filler

If you find yourself with a lack of descriptors then use the ones you can think of. When you “innovate” in the market, what are you really doing? People thirst for information so give it to them. You don’t need to ramble on, but providing some detail is a great teaser. The movie industry uses teasers to pique your interest. You should do the same. Additionally, using buzz words doesn’t make you sound any more intelligent. In fact, it often does the opposite because you aren’t providing substance.

More Proof

If you need more proof that buzz words are everywhere and how irritating they can be. Sit at your next “all hands” type of meeting. Listen to the specific words being used. You’ll notice that a lot of these phrases aren’t really telling you much. It’s almost like eating at McDonald’s, you might get something that resembles a message, but really all your getting is an ill feeling in your stomach.

Try playing games like buzz word bingo. Another that I’ve played is to come up with a list of words and assign points to those words. Each person picks a word they think will provide the most points. Give each person a word to tally and then collect the tallies at the end. Multiply the tallies for the word by it’s value and those are the total points. Once you have the totals you send them out. The prizes are your choice, I tend to prefer a free lunch, but it at least makes the 1-2 hour snore fest more exciting. The point is that you’ll find out just how many buzz words and phrases are used to try and pitch you information and direction.

Where To Go From Here

Well, I’m certain I’ve used buzz words in the past. With so many floating around, it’s bound to happen. Fret not, you can stop using them and gain back your credibility. Make a conscious effort to stop using them and give the terms meaning again. Also, you’ll be generating more intelligent conversation. This, to me, seems like a positive.

Suggestions

You may be able to get a clearer picture of exactly what I’m talking about with some examples. So, here are some off the top of my head.

• Enterprise – We can handle a lot of [users|documents|<insert noun>]. When you say this you’ll need some statistics. So have them ready.
• Web 2.0 – Our web application is primarily built using Javascript, AJAX, and some aesthetically please designs. We are also standards compliant.
• Synergy – Our product works well with <insert other technology>. Or, this will allow <X> to work well with <Y>.
• Best of breed – We’ve used <X> technology. This gives us the ability to do <Y>.
• Leaders in – Hmm… No you aren’t. Just accept it now and get over this phrase. KTHXBI.

Authenticity

One thing I touched on above was authenticity. When you stop using gibberish in your messages you gain credibility. People start to listen to your messages because they are gaining something from it. If you are interested in some ways to approach this take a look at Personality Not Included. I read this some time ago and really liked much of what Rohit had to say.

Go Forth

Go now and conquer! Take out those editors, rewrite those presentations, press releases and websites. Get the word out that you wont put up with buzz words anymore. And, if someone tries to push you into it, you can always threaten them.

Adapting To Change

Homework

If you watch the following video with Trent Reznor, it’s about 40 minutes long, you’ll likely understand the rest of this post. But, for the TL;DL crowd, the interview had a lot of undertones to it that I really thought needed to be elaborated on. Not only do they pertain to what he’s doing within the music industry; what he discusses has to do with, at the very least, the tech industry. I see it as a fundamental shift in the way business is being conducted. At any rate, take a glance, and there will be more after the video.

Thoughts

First- Trent Reznor is the f*ing man.

Second- Trent Reznor is the f*ing man.

Third- there is new information coming out lately about how we’re in a time of mergers and acquisitions (M&A). M&A is a way to grow your company in size (employment), in revenue and, if you did your homework correctly, in profit. Ultimately the point of the larger companies is to make themselves money. They need to sustain the business styles they have grown into. Younger companies tend to be far less concerned about the profit engine as they are a bout their idea. Pay attention here. If you listened to what Trent said about record labels and artists then this should sound familiar. However, his thoughts don’t just apply to the recording industry.

Small businesses tend to be focused on producing some idea that changes the world, makes it a better place to live in, or makes my cheese burger taste even that much better. They are _not_ focused on whether the special sauce will be cheaper if they use Angus vs norm. In fact, a lot of smaller companies will make a deliberate decision to go for quality. They know it will cost more, but often that deliberate decision is an important differentiator in the market.

However, the businesses doing M&A tend to be focused on things that generate profit. They need to feed the meat grinder and produce dollars. After all, they have investors to satisfy. But, and this is where Trend hits the nail on the head, if you want to keep your vision, in most cases, you need to stay away from the M&A scene. If you’re looking to just make some cash or want a much larger exposure to the market knowing that you may lose some of that “somethin’, somethin’” then M&A may be right for you.

Something to keep in mind here is that the internet does allow for a great “grassroots” style exposure method. While the phrase it overused and overassumed, “your stuff could go viral!!! OMG!”

Fourth- in the interview Trent provides some notes about what artists starting out can and should do. This is not unlike the technology industry. Now-a-days there is often very little capital required to start. You can literally buy a domain and hosting for 21 dollars a month, throw up a blog, software, etc. and you’re on your way. The most expensive equity at that point becomes sweat equity. Here is something to note, investors tend to like it if you require less money from them and can produce something which will make them rich. Seems to make sense yea? If you can show that you work your ass off, made this product in your “free” time, and then have plans for the future, you’re well on your way to getting some funding.

Keep in mind that getting funded is much like acquisition. While the investor will be much more likely to care about your vision they are still concerned about the profit engine. However, because it doesn’t feed into some conglomerate view of the bottom line, there is a bit more attention on the details that make your company tick.

Fifth- things are changing. The way that business is done is changing. This is somewhat hidden in my fourth note. Trent noted a distinct difference with the way artists need to operate now from when he was coming into the industry with Nine Inch Nails. The technology that exists today makes it so that the companies today that are really taking off are just starting as hobbies or side projects. There are a ton more as well. The point here is that these companies are utilizing the infrastructure to make something really interesting and really useful, but most importantly, something that they themselves want to use. This is where I see technology companies going.

There are a few things about this topic I haven’t elaborated on. If you make something that you yourself want to use then you will likely lack passion, devotion, and when the chips are down it’ll be easier to cashout than to dive back on in. Starting projects, companies, or ideas is hard work. It requires a ton of time and effort. You’ll get to a point where it will feel better to just throw it away. But, if what you are doing is worth it to _you_ then you will pour that extra cut of “oomf” and push through it. And, IMO, if investors overlook this crucial element, they don’t deserve the profit you would make them.