Photo by ehpien.
Clichés have become so ingrained into our language. The problem with these phrases is that they are used all too often and can deprive a piece of true thought or emotion. In fact, the definition of a cliché is “a phrase or opinion that is overused and betrays a lack of original thought.”
While a cliché may get a point across, is it really the best we can do? Can’t we come up with a better, more original way to communicate our thoughts and ideas?
Recently, Forbes compiled a list of common business clichés that when really thought about don’t do the best job at getting the point across. Here are a few of my favorites:
- “We need to get our ducks in a row.” – Why not a more actionable term like “make a plan” or “prepare well?”
- “Full service.” – Customers know you don’t really do everything. Why not just tell them what you actually do?
- “It is what it is.” – Has there ever been a more obvious statement?
- “Who is going to step up to the plate?” – Basically this means that someone else needs to do the dirty work, but why are we bringing baseball
into it? - “Won’t move the needle.” – A better way to make this point would be to describe why the strategy will be unsuccessful.
In many cases, using a cliché is a lazy way of summing things up. These phrases aren’t detailed, don’t get to the root of the idea and don’t inspire action. One way to keep your marketing copy tight and effective is to replace clichés with original writing.
Which clichés do you find particularly useless? Are there any that you think we should just stop using all together?