Twenty-first Century Americans have inherited an acceleration of hectic days and frenetic activity. Modern Americans demand more bang for their buck with everything from Smart Phones to Organic Food. Modern American language is no different and reflects this change. E-mailing has been reduced to text messaging with symbols that express our emotions (emoticons) and the thirty-second sound bite has been reduced to three second attention-grabbers as collective attention spans grow shorter with every passing day.
The following list of words and phrases are meant to communicate a lot in the shortest time possible.
Imagine –
Imagine is a powerful word that invites your listener or audience to take a mental vacation with you. Imagine helps you to believe for a better day. Every person develops their own moving mental picture. Imagine is an invitation to collaborate with you.
Discover –
Like the word Imagine above, Discover is a one-word invitation that encourages, motivates and inspires people to take action. Vacation resorts like to use this word in their ads. Discover The Possibilities is a little like finding buried treasure.
Cultivate –
Cultivate challenges people to grow. A statement like Cultivate Your Potential encourages your listeners to get out of their comfort zone and become the best they can be. Cultivate is 21st Century jargon for the word Educate.
Investment –
Investment is the new buzz-word in politics for spending. But Investment is a better word than spending because it presupposes that you will receive something of greater value in the future. Spending is a rather flat quid pro quo. Invest In The Future, Invest In Yourself, Invest In Your Career, Invest Your Time…, etc.
Empower –
This word encourages others to use everything at their disposal to achieve success. Empower is very similar to the word Empire. Empower gives people a sense of authority, determination and personal responsibility.
Results –
Americans like results and are bored with procedures. Use Results in your marketing literature and combine them with other powerful words such as phrases like Get Fast Results or Innovation + Investment = Results!
Respect –
Respect is BIG money in the United States. Everyone wants to be shown Respect and feel that they are Respected in their communities and Respected by their peersand loved ones. I recently heard the phrase, I Want To Respect Your Time. I instantly had Respect for the person who used that phrase.
No Excuses –
This expression carries a number of different themes such as time management, efficiency, determination and personal responsibility. When I hear someone use this term, I know that they are a decisive, bottom line, no nonsense kind of leader. No Excuses reminds me of Nike’s old ad line – Just Do It!
I Get It! –
This is another way of saying I Understand. But it is more than that. When someone says I Get It, I know that they understand the reasoning behind policies, procedures and even personal emotions. This expression suggests that the person is not only smart and savvy but also possesses a certain degree of sophistication as well.
I Want To Empower You! –
This phrase appeals to a deep drive in human beings to feel powerful. It suggests that you are in control of your destiny and responsible for outcomes. It is really just another way of saying, “Let me give you what you need to succeed – I believe in you.”
The Simple Truth –
In this era of sound bites, marketing ads and news spins, it is difficult to ascertain the Simple Truth. People also have hidden agendas in personal conversation and reasons for saying what they say.
As human beings, we all struggle at times with jealousy, low self-esteem, anger, frustration and a host of other negative emotions that we attempt to conceal.
The Simple Truth exposes pretense and exaggeration. It is also a great phrase to use when making an apology because it will instantly boost your credibility as a person of Uncompromising Integrity.
Real Time –
Real Time is 21st Century jargon for Right Now. People who organize and schedule webinars and conference calls love to use this term because it suggests a certain authenticity, presence and permanence to what is (or will be) said.
I personally prefer Right Now because I am usually in a hurry and do not like to wait but Real Time has its merits. Information that is presented in real time gives one the impression that it is Hot Off The Press, so to speak. It also suggests exclusivity – this message is for a specific audience only.
Tried and True –
I like to use this term with the word Method – as in a Tried and True Method. I also have no inclination to re-invent the wheel when it comes to things that I know have worked for me in the past.
I like to employ templates, models and successful strategies to save time. Most people will actually be willing to pay a premium for a Tried and True product because they trust it will work for them over the long-term.
Tried and True products do not usually require extended warrantees because we believe they will work. Tried and True is short-hand for Save Time and Money – Buy A Product From The Company You Trust.
Made Easy –
You have probably heard this phrase used on the late night infomercials. From the latest kitchen knives to the juicer that will even grind up tin cans or yesterday’s dirty undershorts turning them into today’s smoothies, Americans love products and methods that make our lives easier and a process that is itself Made Easy.
I love the part of the ad where the mellifluous announcer say’s, “And with the Made Easy filter/attachment, cleanup is a snap!”
Now think about it, who in their right mind would buy a product that did not improve the quality of their own life? Made Easy says it all.
Using these words and phrases regularly will increase your credibility on the job while saving time and expanding shared meaning. Try incorporating just a few of these terms over the next week. Have fun with combining new words and phrases. You may even think of a few of your own that pack a punch with your co-workers. Imagine the possibilities. You might even Cultivate a climate for your own personal promotion with very little Investment of time.
Editor’s Note: Grant Engelmann, Author of “The Respect Method: 7 Steps to Successful Communication in Every Relationship”