Why buzzwords lose senior audiences
Clichés and jargon signal two things to executives: lack of preparation and lack of clarity. If you want time with a budget holder, plain English wins. At Blue Donkey we work from propositions, not scripts, so callers explain value simply and let decision-makers do the talking.
What to retire—and what to say instead
“Thinking outside the box”
Executives hear: “We don’t have a specific idea.”
Say instead: “Here’s a different approach we can test this quarter: …”
“Going forward”
Filler that pads sentences and hides ownership.
Say instead: “From Monday, we’ll… I’ll send the draft by 3pm.”
“Touch base” / “Touch base offline”
Vague and over-used.
Say instead: “Can we book ten minutes on Thursday to agree next steps?”
“Reach out”
Softens the ask but sounds insincere in volume.
Say instead: “I’ll call you tomorrow” or “I’ll email the summary by noon.”
“Idea shower”
New label, same brain-storm. Adds nothing.
Say instead: “Let’s gather three options and the risk for each.”
“Let’s action that”
Corporate speak that avoids who/when.
Say instead: “I’ll do X by Friday; Alex owns Y.”
“Synergy”
Means everything and nothing.
Say instead: “If we combine A and B, we remove two handoffs and cut lead time by 3 days.”
Rule of thumb: If a phrase could sit in any slide deck, it shouldn’t be in your call. Use concrete nouns, active verbs, and specific dates.
Keep calls clear: a quick Blue Donkey checklist
- Proposition first: One line on the outcome you deliver. See sales call preparation.
- Open questions: Invite the decision-maker to describe needs in their words. Examples in open questions in telemarketing.
- Plain English: Swap features and acronyms for benefits and examples a CFO, COO or Head of Ops will recognise.
- Specific next step: “Shall we book 15 minutes Tuesday with you and Ops?” (Agenda + attendees beats “touch base”.)
Why this matters in B2B telemarketing
Senior people buy reduced risk and clearer outcomes. Jargon increases risk because it hides what will change. Clean language shows control and earns permission to meet. If you’d like your team to practise this style, our B2B appointment setting approach focuses on meetings that hold, not just meetings booked.
Further reading (plain-English standard)
For a sensible, no-nonsense reference on clear language, see the UK Government’s guidance on writing in plain English.
Next step
Want callers who make senior people lean in, not glaze over? Talk to Blue Donkey. We’ll share our proposition templates and live coaching that swaps buzzwords for business outcomes.
