jargon Tag

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows Jargon Enough To Avoid It; image by Mabdul via Wikimedia Commons… Many companies readily blame the competition for their struggles. For example, how many lackluster retailers have you seen blame Amazon? In many cases, it’s their marketing (or lack of it) holding them back…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Knows Jargon Enough To Avoid It; image by Mabdul via Wikimedia Commons… Quick, can you guess what this company is selling? “We provide a platform for market-moving dialogue by connecting decision makers through actionable exchange, revolutionizing the way 21st century companies create value.” Although reading that is like chewing sand — but not as fun — too many execs think such jargon makes them sound “professional.” Instead, it makes them sound like con artists. I take that back: aRead More

by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango, MBA, and Professor of Communications… A point that really stood out to me in an overall fantastic article by Philosopher and Business Consultant Matthew Stewart: “Next to analysis, communication skills must count among the most important for future masters of the universe. To their credit, business schools do stress these skills, and force their students to engage in make-believe presentations to one another. On the whole, however, management education has been less than a boon for those who value free and meaningfulRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Hardcore Word Lover… The other day I saw a billboard for a food company. I don’t remember the brand or the product (total ad fail), but I do remember the tagline: “Real Authentic Taste.” And I immediately thought, what the hell does that mean?Read More

By Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Teacher of World Classes; photo by Greta Schölderle Møller on Unsplash… As yet another public service, I’ve identified a few words and phrases that have been so overused, misused, and abused that they no longer have any meaning. (Kind of like the joke in an average Saturday Night Live sketch.) These terms sound important without saying anything, which makes them ideal for press releases and political speeches…Read More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Guy Who Likes to Answer Questions and Question Answers My friend Nina writes… “I’m reading this article, and I can’t help but wonder: who comes up with the names for various consumer groups, like Millennials or, as in this piece, ‘X-fluents’? How do they gain traction? I think ‘X-fluents’ is stupid. It sounds too much like ‘effluent.'” My response… You remember the commercials that used eggs to symbolize a brain on drugs? Well, terminology fabrication is like that, but think ofRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Consultant to the Consultants; photo by Antti Leppänen via Wikimedia Commons… Deliverable (n.): Report or item that must be completed and delivered under the terms of an agreement or contract. — BusinessDictionary.com Even though the U.S. has a service-based economy (meaning, “sorry, we don’t make things anymore”), clients still want products they can hold. They request the fruits of our education and experience, which we divulge in their offices or over drinks. Yet all that mad science isn’t worth jack if they can’tRead More

by Freddy Tran Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango + Part-Time Shark Jumper… Although Americans don’t manufacture much anymore, we still excel at making media, including entertainment and news. We give good hype, and the Internet brings it to the rest of the world 24/7. One problem: all this unfiltered Yankee content poses a linguistic challenge for people in other countries, even those fluent in English. That’s because Americans also excel at screwing with the language — and I’m not just talking about Miss South Carolina (warning: excruciating cringe-inducing video ahead)…Read More