19 Words
You Should Never Say the First Time You Meet Someone
Some are tired. Some are overused. Some are hyperbolic. And some are
insufferable.
Plenty of people use tired clichés, overblown superlatives, and breathless adjectives to describe
themselves in social media profiles and marketing materials. Plenty of people write things about themselves they may not have the
nerve to actually say.
But some go ahead and say them.
The following
are terms that, when other people use them to describe you, can be awesome--but
you should never use them to describe yourself.
1.
"Driven"
Maybe
you're data driven. (Wow, you try to objectively make
decisions?) Or maybe you're customer driven. (Wow, you try to
please the people that pay you?)
Or maybe
you're just plain old driven.
No matter what the form, driven is like
"motivated." Or "inspired." It's filler.
2.
"Motivated".
Never take credit for things you are supposed
to do--or supposed to be.
3.
"Extensive experience"
Say you have "extensive experience in
web design." Fine, but how long you've been in business indicates nothing:
You could still be the worst programmer in the world.
What matters more is what you've done: how
many sites you've created, how many back-end systems you've installed, how many
customer-specific applications (and what kind) you've developed...
Don't say how long you've been doing it. Say
what you've done. We'll figure the rest out on our own.
4.
"Authority"
As Margaret Thatcher said, "Power is
like being a lady; if you have to say you are, you aren't." Show your
expertise instead.
"Presented at SxSW" or "took a
company from startup to IPO" indicates a level of authority. Unless you
can prove it, "social media marketing authority" might simply mean
you spend way too much time worrying about your Klout score. (Do people still
worry about Klout scores?)
5.
"Results-oriented"
Really? You focus on doing what you are paid
to do?
6.
"Responsible"
"Responsible"
cuts two ways. You can be responsible (but, one hopes, isn't everyone?) or you
can be responsible for (which is just a boring way of saying
that you did something).
If you're in social media marketing, don't
say you're "responsible for social campaigns"; say you grew
conversions by 30 percent using social channels.
"Responsible" is a great example of
passive language begging to become active. So don't say what you're responsible
for. Tell us what you've done. Achievements are always more impressive.
7.
"Global provider"
The majority of businesses can sell goods or
services worldwide; the ones that can't are fairly obvious.
Only use "global provider" if that
capability is not assumed or obvious; otherwise, you just sound like a small
company trying to appear big.
8.
"Creative"
See particular words often enough and they no
longer have an impact. "Creative" is one of them. (Use finding
"creative" references in random LinkedIn profiles as a drinking game
and everyone will lose--or win, depending on your perspective.)
"Creative"
is just one example. Others include "extensive," "effective,"
"proven," "influential," and
"team player." Some of those terms may truly describe you, but since
they are being used to describe everyone, they've lost their impact.
9. "Track
record"
We all have a track record. It may be good,
it may be bad, but we all have one. (And they're all "proven.")
I actually like what "track record"
implies: You've done stuff, hopefully awesome stuff. You've gotten results,
made things happen, come through in the clutch ... so share a few facts and
figures instead.
Describe on-time performance rates, or waste
percentages, or underbudget statistics; let your track record be proved by your
achievements.
10.
"Dynamic"
If you are "vigorously active and
forceful," um, stay away.
11.
"Guru"
People who try to be clever for the sake of
being clever are anything but. Don't be a self-proclaimed "ninja,"
"sage," "connoisseur," "guerrilla,"
"wonk," "egghead," etc.
It's awesome when your customers
affectionately describe you that way. But refer to yourself that way, and it's
obvious you're trying way too hard to impress other people--or just as likely,
yourself.
12.
"Curator"
Museums have curators. Libraries have
curators. Tweeting links to stuff you find interesting doesn't make you a
"curator" or an "authority" or a "guru."
13.
"Passionate"
I know many people disagree, but if you say
you're incredibly passionate about, oh, incorporating elegant design aesthetics
into everyday objects, then to me you sound over the top.
The same is
true if you're passionate about developing long-term customer solutions.
Try "focus," "concentrate," or
"specialize" instead.
Or try
"love," as in, "I love incorporating an elegant design
aesthetic in everyday objects." For whatever reason, that works for me.
Passion doesn't. (But maybe that's just me.)
14.
"Unique"
Fingerprints are unique. Snowflakes are
unique. You are unique--but your business probably isn't. That's fine, because
customers don't care about unique; they care about "better."
Show you're better than the competition, and
in the minds of your customers you will be unique--without ever having said so.
15.
"Serial entrepreneur"
A few people start multiple successful
long-term businesses. They are serial entrepreneurs.
The rest of us start one business that fails
or does OK. We try something else, try something else, and keep on rinsing and
repeating until we find a formula that works.
Those people are entrepreneurs. Be proud to
be "just" an entrepreneur--because you should be.
16.
"Strategist"
I sometimes help manufacturing plants improve
productivity and quality. There are strategies I use to identify areas for
improvement, but I'm in no way a strategist. Strategists look at the present,
envision something new, and develop approaches to make their vision a reality.
I don't create something new; I apply my
experience and a few proven methodologies to make improvements.
Very few people are strategists. Most
"strategists" are actually coaches, specialists, or consultants who
use what they know to help others. Ninety-nine percent of the time that's
what customers need--they don't need or even want a strategist.
17.
"Collaborative"
You won't just decide what's right for me and
force me to buy it? Wow.
If your process is designed to take my input
and feedback, tell me how that works. Describe the process. Don't claim we'll
work together--describe how we'll work together.
18.
"Innovative"
Most companies claim to be innovative. Many
people claim to be innovative. Most are, however, not innovative. (I'm
definitely not.) And that's OK, because innovation isn't a requirement for
success. (You don't have to be new--you just have to be better.)
And if you are innovative, don't say it.
Prove it. Describe the products you've developed. Describe the processes you've
transformed.
Give us something real so your innovation is
unspoken but evident, which is always the best kind of innovative to be.
19.
"World class"
Usain Bolt: world-class sprinter with the
Olympic medals to prove it. Serena Williams: world-class tennis player. (Oh,
let's just say it: best female tennis player ever.)
But what is a world-class professional or
company? Who defines "world class"? In your case: probably just you.
BY JEFF
HADEN
http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/19-words-you-should-never-say-the-first-time-you-meet-someone.html
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