Kill Those Cliches by the End of the Day
Oops. Of course, that’s one of the cliches. And you hear that one twice in the accompanying very short video. One per sentences. I could have collected more, but you get the point.
What are other cliches? For starters:
- “Walking back”
- “Narrative”
- “Optics”
- “Going forward”
Come to think of it “going forward” sounds much better than “walking back.” But if you don’t go forward, where do you go?
When I was a TV journalist, I rarely heard these. Now they’re all over TV news as you hear politicians and officials talk.
Is there anything wrong about using these? They’re not original any more. They are succinct, but what’s wrong with saying “It looked bad” instead of “bad optics”? Or “The press secretary changed his story” instead of “walking it back”? Or “Admitted he misspoke.” Yes, a few more words, but that’s fine.
In any event, walking back doesn’t seem comfortable.
Kill Those Cliches by the End of the Day: Takeaways
- Be an original rather than a copy.
- Look for fresh ways to make your point.
- Don’t assume everyone understands your point when you use words like “optics.” There’s nothing wrong with saying “It didn’t look good.”
- Communicate clearly.
Whether you communicate in videos, speaking engagements, or emails, be clear. Consider if you had to pay a tax every time you used these phrases, what would you do?
Contact me with questions: bob@kaplitz.tv
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