Buzzword hypnosis: Getting lost in the words

Ever experience a sales pitch designed to generate excitement and intimidation at the same time…you know with lots of buzzwords and ambiguous promises? Much like this:

“Let me tell you what we can do for your business…By leveraging our platform we will create a synergy for onboarding without disrupting the ecosystem. Of course, we will touch base will all major stakeholders throughout the project and report on all actionable issues to allow us to drill down into the key issues that are not yet on the radar and catch the low-hanging fruit. Keeping our eye on the ball and managing the moving parts are essential for moving the needle toward positive momentum. Thinking outside of the box is imperative on this one and we will hit it out of the park. We will change the playing field completely and create a win-win scenario that will be game-changing for all. Let us get the ball rolling on this, we are known for pushing the envelope and being proactive. Really taking a holistic approach will be key to amplifying the ROR. We can sync up and close the loop ….BLAH, BLAH, BLAH “

Wait? What? Does anyone really know what this means?

No, but it can induce a hypnotic state of awe.

It’s been my experience that when the buzzwords come out, chances are high that the promise to deliver is questionable at best. The pressure is great to appear to know what you are doing in this fast paced, ever changing world of technology and digital environments. The false belief that no one will consider hiring you if you do not appear to be uber-smart takes over in those moments when fear of losing the sale is prevalent.

While in a state of buzzword hypnosis they win the contract, even while your thinking, “I sure hope they can pull this off.”

It’s times like these that checking in with yourself is helpful. How is this done, you ask? It is very simple, take a pause and ask yourself;

  1. “What do I want?” and
  2. “How am I feeling?”

If your answers resemble, “I want a partner that is truly competent to deliver and will consider my needs and my customer’s needs.” And “I am feeling like they do not get me, my business or my customers.” Trust that and move on. When we slow down and consider these two things we create alignment (I know another buzzword) with our thoughts, beliefs and actions. This, in the end, results in an outcome for which we are accountable, good or bad.

Think back to a time when a decision lead to an outcome that was less than desirable. It left you blaming others and/or resulted in feeling like the victim. If you had checked in with yourself, would your decision have been different?

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