Cliches : 50 You Love to Hate

Your head tilts slightly. There’s almost a screeching noise in your ear. It’s the dreaded word or term you’ve heard so many times that it went from clever or cute to irritating. Cliches that have become so over-used and result in losing half the audience in a pool of black annoyance.

They seem to show up most frequently in business settings. The office meeting that somebody has to do. And in an attempt to make a point without expending too much energy, instead of grabbing a thesaurus they grab a copy of “How to Entertain with Colorful Cliches.” Or maybe “Cliches for Dummies.”

We live in a world where the movement of information is critical on both personal and business levels. The attention span of our target audience has become ever shorter, and anything that causes the audience to disengage devalues the entire communication.

This is not to say that a common word or phrase, even a bona fide cliche, has no place. Think of the total communication as a finely prepared meal. Spices may have been selectively added as part of a recipe that leads to a dish that is perfectly seasoned. But too much of anything doesn’t work, and if you grabbed the whole spice rack, nobody would partake despite all your efforts to entice them.

If you’re preparing a presentation and want to create an effective, memorable, and engaging product, make sure the recipe is balanced. Even too much “proper English” or over-use of the handy thesaurus won’t work. Use tools that can help capture and maintain the attention of your audience. Good examples can be use of media, webinars, and audience interaction.

Cliches : Don’t Do This!

We all are allowed to let our hair down and go with the flow. But there’s a time to bite the bullet and make sure your ducks are all in a row. So even if you have a lot on your plate, let’s get the ball rolling towards a win-win situation. Think outside the box and at the end of the day, you’ll have better communications.

In the meantime, pass this graphic around to your favorite offender. Your ears will love you for it!